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Vancouver Canucks vs. Montreal Canadiens – NHL Picks

  • Mike Schultz's Author profile. Mike Schultz

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Two very different looking Canadian teams will be facing off tomorrow in Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canucks and the Habs don’t play each other very often during the regular season, so there isn’t the kind of built-in rivalry that could spark an emotional, revenge-based fire under the floundering Canucks, which is why the current odds have them as the -105 underdogs.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Vancouver Canucks

Favorite: Montreal -115
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 10pm ET
Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC

Vancouver Canucks

No one thought the Canucks would be real contenders this year, since they’re under an entirely re-vamped management team and are in midst of a slow and arduous rebuilding process. Willie Desjardins’s team have quite a deep hole to dig themselves out of, starting 0-2-3 in their own building, which is the worst start in franchise history during a full season.

In those five home games, the ‘Nucks have made it even more heartbreaking for fans by blowing third period leads in three of those games, including a loss to the Detroit Red Wings this past Saturday where they held a 2 goal lead for 2/3 of the game.

The Canucks haven’t made as much use of their youngest talent so far this season, so now is the time for Desjardins to start giving Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann more ice time, since Virtanen was given less than 6 total minutes and McCann less than 12 minutes in the loss against the Red Wings.

Tonight will also be the first time that forward Brandon Prust will play his former team since he was traded in July. “It’s always special when you come back and play your buddies and your old team,” said Prust. “It should be a fun night.”

Ryan-Miller-Canucks odds vs canadiens

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are the hottest team in the league right now and are looking every bit a Stanley Cup winning club, which is why they are currently +700 favorites to bring the Cup home to Canada. Carey Price is playing near-perfect hockey and his 7-0-0 record, 1.29 goals-against average and .961 saves percentage backs up every claim being made that he’s the best player in the league. He’ll be coming off a game on Saturday against the Maple Leafs in which he stopped 49 shots on goal.

Coach Michel Therrien has no plans to change the lineup, but forward Paul Byron, who has not yet played this season, alternated with Alexander Semin on the right wing of Alex Galchenyuk’s line during practice yesterday.

The 9-0-0 Habs are, this season, really into breaking records, and they can do it again against the struggling Canucks. A win in Vancouver would match the best start in NHL history, a record that will be shared with the 2006-07 Sabres and 1993-94 Maple Leafs. They are the -115 favorites to beat the Canucks tonight.

Habs vs. Canucks Pick

Ryan Miller is a great goalie, and has looked good so far this season, but he can’t be expected win games for his struggling, low-scoring team. The Canadiens have solid gold in the net, and they also have several elite players in front of the net consistently putting pucks in the net.

Montreal Canadiens, 5-2