Los Angeles Kings vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction, NHL Odds
LA has been great on the road this season, posting a 6-1-2 record as the visitors. The Bell Centre crowd will put them to the test in this one, as the Canadiens look to extend their 5-1-1 record on home ice.
The NHL Odds have this one as a pick ‘em, with the total sitting at an even six goals. Puck drop from downtown Montreal is set for 7:00 PM EST.
Kings vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds
It has been over six years since the last time Montreal beat the Kings, dating back to November 9th of 2019. LA has beaten the Habs in eight straight meetings, in which only two games came within a goal. Only twice in that stretch did they play the OVER, as the Kings held Montreal to just 12 total goals, outscoring them 33-12.
The Kings’ offence is averaging just 2.75 goals per game, ranking them as the 8th lowest scoring team in the league. They have not scored more than three in their past five games, playing the OVER twice in that stretch, pushing their record to 7-8-1 on the year.
On the other side, Montreal’s offence has been its saving grace this season, scoring 3.87 goals per game, good for fourth in the league. They are 8-1-1 on the OVER/UNDER in their past 10 and 10-3-2 on the campaign. The Canadiens have climbed to +425 to win the Atlantic Division on our NHL Futures board, behind only the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Los Angeles Kings
After having an outstanding home record last season, the Kings have flipped the script and have become the best road team in the NHL. They opened their current six-game trip with a 3-2 comeback win in Pittsburgh on Sunday thanks to a pair of goals in the third period. Anze Kopitar (2nd), Corey Perry (7th) and Kevin Fiala (7th) were the Kings’ goal scorers, while Darcy Kuemper turned away 31 of 33 shots for his fifth win of the season.
Corey Perry found a time machine over the offseason and went back to his 2010s form. His two points on Sunday extended his point streak to three games, putting him at 11 points in 10 games. Maybe the move back to California was what the 40-year-old winger needed to get him back to his point-per-game form.
With 16 points, the Kings are tied for second in the Pacific Division, but with one more game played, they are outside the playoff picture. They have had first-round exits in four straight seasons, and with the emergence of the younger teams in this division, their postseason streak is in danger.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal opened its four-game homestand with an impressive 6-2 over the Utah Mammoth on Saturday night. After giving up the first goal of the game for the third straight, rookie Oliver Kapanen (6th) would even things up headed to the second. They would fall behind 2-1 early in the second, but Cole Caufield would spark the team, scoring just 42 seconds later, tying things up again. The Habs did not look back, scoring four straight to win the game 6-2, snapping a back-to-back of overtime losses.
Caufield scored a pair in the game, getting his goal total to 12 on the year, making him the second leading goal scorer in the league. He is on pace to score 66 goals this campaign and could be the first Canadien to score 40 goals in a season in decades.
Despite having the lesser stats of the Canadiens’ goaltending tandem, Samuel Montembeault has started three of the squad’s past four games. Expect to see the 6-0-1 Jakub Dobes in goal on Tuesday as the Habs look to extend their lead atop the Atlantic Division.
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