The Vancouver Canucks (6-14-2) will face off against the Montreal Canadiens (6-15-2) on Monday at 7:30 P.M. EST at Bell Centre.
Montreal is fresh off an impressive 6-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins, while Vancouver recently lost against the Boston Bruins by a final score of 3-2 on Sunday.
With both sides laboring in 2021, this is a winnable game for either team. Let’s take a look at who the favorite is for Monday.
Vancouver Canucks Preview: The Search for Consistency Continues
The Canucks have struggled in multiple facets of the game this season. They rank in the bottom half of the league in goals scored on offense and goals allowed on defense. They also are shooting a dreadful .068 percent which ranks 31st in the NHL.
The Canucks are in the midst of a desperate search for consistency.
J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes have led the team from an offensive perspective.
Miller leads the team with seven goals and has added 19 points and 12 assists. He is a longtime veteran in the league and is a vital part of the Canucks organization.
Meanwhile, young Quinn Hughes has only scored two goals but leads Vancouver with 13 assists.
Goalie Thatcher Demko is 6-10 on the season with a .904 save percentage. While Demko has been far from dominant this year, he is a guy who is going to grind it out and do everything in his power to give the Canucks an opportunity to win.
Montreal Canadiens Preview: Defense Needs to Step Up
Josh Anderson leads Montreal with seven goals. Anderson has added 13 points and six assists during his second season with the Canadiens.
Goalie Jake Allen has comprised a 5-9 record with a .902 save percentage. Allen is currently allowing the most goals per game this year than he has in any other season since he entered the NHL with an average of 3.02. However, that total does lower to 2.78 at home.
From a team standpoint, Montreal ranks 24th in goals for with 54, but they are 32nd in goals allowed with a disappointing number of 83. One category where the Canadiens have been fairly decent is passing and setting up teammates for shots, as they rank 22nd in assists with 93.
While the offense is not terrible, the defense as a whole has been a major problem for Montreal.
Who to Bet on Canucks at Canadiens
Both the Canucks and Canadiens are near the bottom of the conference standings. For Montreal, this is a far cry from their Stanley Cup run from a season ago.
The Canadiens are 14-0-4 against the Canucks over their past 18 matchups. Vancouver is also just 1-4 over their last five games. Montreal is 2-6 over their last eight games.
Top sportsbooks have Montreal as 1.5 point favorites at home. While neither of these teams have truly impressed this season, the Canadiens could be in line for a strong performance against the Canucks on Monday.
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Take the Canadiens -1.5