The Vancouver Canucks (4-6-3) and Montreal Canadiens (6-6-1) tussle Wednesday with the opening faceoff at the Bell Centre at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Vancouver picked up a 6-4 victory Tuesday at the Ottawa Senators. The Canucks were outshot 41-28, but G Cam Talbot had a rough night between the pipes for the Senators. Vancouver is 4-1-1 in its last 6 games and the team has scored 5-plus goals in each of those 4 wins.
The Canadiens also played on Tuesday, winning at the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout. The triumph snapped a 3-game losing streak. Montreal now returns to home ice where it is looking to break a skid of the same length.
Canucks at Canadiens odds
- Moneyline: Canucks -165 (bet $165 to win $100) | Canadiens +133 (bet $100 to win $133)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Canucks -1.5 (+140) | Canadiens +1.5 (-175)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -135 | U: +107)
Canucks at Canadiens projected goalies
Thatcher Demko (1-6-2, 3.90 GAA, .879 SV%) vs Sam Montembeault (2-1-1, 2.47 GAA, .928 SV%)
Demko has struggled this season, allowing 3 goals or more in each of his 9 games, including in his last start on Saturday vs. the Nashville Predators.
Montembeault allowed 3 goals on 36 shots in his Thursday start at the Winnipeg Jets. The Montreal backup is a 4-year veteran with a career save percentage of .894.
Canucks at Canadiens picks and predictions
Prediction
Canucks 5, Canadiens 3
Moneyline
The visiting Canucks are a lean in principle. But the price here falls outside getting any value PASS.
Puck line/Against the spread
Both sides can struggle on defense, and with this goaltending matchup, a high-scoring, loose game would not be a surprise.
And the Canucks figure to be on the dominant side of that loose exchange, at least with enough probability to warrant the puck-line play here. The Canadiens have scored just 2.77 goals per game (27th NHL). They are loose with the puck, enough so that a slightly-better-than-average take-away group like Vancouver can keep shot totals relatively low.
Montreal gives up far too many quality chances, and its 6-6-1 record seems significantly fade-worthy as we head into the middle of November. Five of the club’s 6 losses have been of the multi-goal variety.
TAKE VANCOUVER -1.5 (+140).
Over/Under
PASS. The upside juice prices an Over lean out of consideration.