Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction, NHL Odds
The Canadiens snapped a three-game home losing streak with Wednesday’s 5-2 victory over Vancouver, but have failed to tally a Saturday home victory since mid-March. The Penguins wrap up a three-game road trip in Montreal after skating to a 4-2 win in Toronto on Friday, and are now also looking to establish their first three-game win streak of the season.
The Penguins have faded to -150 favourites on the NHL odds since opening at -166, and have received the backing of just 32 per cent of sports bettors. The total has held steady since opening at 6.5, with the OVER attracting 84 per cent of the betting action.
Penguins vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds
Saturday night’s matchup at the Bell Centre marks the second of three scheduled meetings this season these teams. The Canadiens escaped with a 3-2 overtime victory when the Penguins visited Montreal back on October 17, and have now skated away with the win in five of eight head-to-head clashes, including three of four on home ice.
Recent dates involving these teams in Montreal have tended to be low scoring, with the total reaching 7.0 just once in their past four. However, the UNDER has gone just 2-2-0 during that stretch. Saturday night’s contest also marks the fourth time that Pittsburgh has played on back-to-back nights over the past three weeks. The club has struggled when playing the back half of games on consecutive nights, going winless in their past three, and claiming victory just twice in their past eight.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins leveraged a third-period rally to get past the Leafs on Friday night, and have now won two straight after falling to defeat in each of their previous seven contests. One of the few bright spots for the Penguins during their recent slide, Evgeni Malkin once again sparked the Pittsburgh attack on Friday, potting a goal and an assist. Malkin has now turned in multi-point performances, and also potted a pair of goals in the team’s visit to Montreal last month.
Overall, the Penguins look to have turned the corner after struggling offensively during their recent slide. The club was outscored by a wide 33-16 margin while losing eight straight, but have now scored eight times during their two-game surge, with seven of those markers coming at even strength.
Montreal Canadiens
The duo of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield continued to click in Wednesday’s win over the Canucks, combining to produce three points on the night. Suzuki and Caufield have emerged as one of the NHL’s top offensive tandems in the early going of the season, racking up a combined 32 points including 17 of the team’s 41 goals to date. Kirby Dach is also showing spark after a slow start. The 21-year-old scored twice on Wednesday, and has racked up nine points over his past six appearances.
The Canadiens have also been bolstered by steady goaltending during their 2-0-0 run, with Sam Montembeault and Jake Allen giving up just four total goals after allowing 4.50 goals per game in their preceding four outings. However, the Canadiens still have work to do to tighten things up on home ice, where they have allowed four goals per game over their past four.
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