The Montreal Canadiens host the Chicago Blackhawks at Bell Centre on Monday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET. Montreal enters the game with a 39-31-10 record and is looking to extend their home point streak to 11 games. Chicago, meanwhile, has the fewest road points in the NHL with a record of 8-26-5 away from home.
In their last meeting on January 3, Chicago beat Montreal 4-2. The Canadiens are coming off a tight 1-0 overtime loss to Toronto but have still picked up points in ten straight home games. Chicago just lost to Winnipeg in a shootout but saw two veterans, Alec Martinez and Pat Maroon, play their final NHL game.
MON Preview – Riding Strong Play at Home
Montreal has earned at least a point in each of its last ten home games. Goalie Sam Montembeault has been steady, winning five of his last six starts and posting a .927 save percentage in that stretch. The Canadiens are strong on the penalty kill lately, going 14-for-14 in their last four games.
While their penalty kill has been solid, the power play has been a problem. They are 0-for-13 with the man advantage in the past seven games. Still, the team is trending well defensively and playing tight games, like Saturday’s overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.
Top rookie defenseman Lane Hutson is one point away from breaking the Canadiens’ rookie record for points by a defenseman. The team may also see the debut of top prospect Ivan Demidov, who recently signed after a strong season in the KHL.
CHI Preview – Young Team Plays Spoiler Role
The Blackhawks are near the bottom of the league standings with a 23-46-11 record. They are just 8-26-5 on the road and have struggled on both ends of the ice. Goaltenders Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom are likely to split starts in a back-to-back, with Chicago facing Ottawa on Tuesday.
Rookie star Connor Bedard continues to lead the offense, while veterans Alec Martinez and Pat Maroon ended their careers this past weekend. The Blackhawks have had a hard time stringing together wins but recently beat Boston 5-2 at home.
Chicago is allowing 3.2 goals per game and gives up over 29 shots per contest. Their offense averages just 2.71 goals per game. The power play has been slightly better than expected, converting at over 24% this season, but the defense still ranks near the bottom of the league.
Betting Prediction
Montreal enters as a heavy favorite at -275 on the moneyline, while Chicago is listed at +220. The total is set at 6 goals. The Canadiens have been dominant at home, and their defense is playing well. Montreal’s recent games have been low scoring, especially with solid goaltending from Montembeault.
Chicago struggles on the road and has one of the worst road records in the league. This game has the makings of a 3-1 or 4-2 win for Montreal. The Canadiens should control the game and cover the puck line at -1.5. Trends also show Montreal has hit the moneyline in 39 of 83 games this season.
Pick: Montreal Canadiens -1.5 over Chicago Blackhawks
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