Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens: NHL Odds, Prediction
Any time Original Six teams Detroit and Montreal meet, it’s usually a marquee game on the NHL’s schedule – just not so much this season with both hugely disappointing and eliminated from the playoffs. The Wings make their final visit of the season to Bell Centre in this NHL matchup on Monday night.
Red Wings vs. Canadiens Betting Analysis
These franchises have combined for 58 Stanley Cup appearances and 35 titles, but as noted neither will make the postseason this year. Both missing out on the playoffs is a pretty rare occurrence. Detroit’s amazing streak of 25 straight postseason appearances ended last year, and it has missed out on extra hockey in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the early 1980s.
It’s the third of four meetings, with Montreal heading to Motown on April 5. The teams played a home-and-home set on Nov. 30 & Dec. 2, and it was one of the Canadiens’ best two-game stretches of the season. In the first matchup in Detroit, Montreal won 6-3 – the Red Wings led 2-1 entering the second, when the Habs scored three times. Brendan Gallagher was the No. 1 star with two goals and an assist. Carey Price the No. 2 with 28 saves. Jimmy Howard stopped just 19 of 25 shots for Detroit.
Two nights later in Montreal, the Canadiens destroyed the Red Wings 10-1. Paul Byron scored his first career hat trick, and Alex Galchenyuk had a career-best four assists. Petr Mrazek, since traded to Philadelphia, was pulled after allowing five goals on 25 shots. Howard was much worse, surrendering five goals on just nine shots.
Montreal has won 13 of the past 17 meetings overall and seven of the past eight at home.
Detroit Red Wings
The Wings (27-37-11) lost their second straight and 12th in the past 13 on Saturday, 4-3 in Toronto. Howard made 25 saves and is now 19-27-8 with a 2.88 goals against average and .909 save percentage. He has surrendered at least four goals in five of his past six outings. Detroit is without top defenceman Mike Green due to season-ending surgery on his cervical spine. He missed seven games with the injury – likely the only reason he wasn’t traded – and returned on March 2 in Winnipeg but reaggravated the problem. He finishes with eight goals and 25 assists in 65 games. The 32-year-old will be a free agent this summer. The Wings have been terrible on the road dating to last season, winning just 19 of their past 60 away from home.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal (27-37-12) lost for the 10th time in 12 games Saturday, 6-4 at home to Washington. Charles Hudon scored twice, his third two-goal game of the season, and Alex Galchenyuk and Gallagher also found the net. Gallagher has tied his career high with 47 points and has one in three straight games. Price wasn’t sharp in his second start since returning from a concussion, allowing three goals on the first nine shots. Price has given up four or more goals in 17 of his 44 starts. His 3.10 GAA and .901 save percentages are both career worsts.
