Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens Preview
Planning on watching today’s Canadiens and Penguins game? Catch the action at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA, as the Penguins hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+.
The over/under goal line for this matchup is currently at 6.5 goals, and the Penguins are -1.5 goal favorite to win at home against the Canadiens. Check out BetCoco for Pittsburgh Penguins – Montreal Canadiens odds
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The Canadiens and Penguins did not have any head-to-head matchups last season. But over the last three times playing each other, the Canadiens have a record of 2-1. The Canadiens also had the edge vs. the puck line in these games, at 3-0. These games averaged a combined total of 8 goals per game leading to an over/under record of 3-0.
- Through their last three road contests, the Canadiens offense has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing an average of 5. Montreal posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.
- In their last three home games, Pittsburgh has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
- As the betting underdog, the Penguins have an puck line mark of just 7-3 in their last ten games. Pittsburgh posted a straight up mark of 4-6 in these matchups.
- Against the spread, the Canadiens have put together 0-3 in their last three games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 2-1 straight up.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction
Montreal enters the game with an overall record of 20-21-7, which puts them 13th in the Eastern Conference and 6th in the Atlantic Division. On the road, the Canadiens have gone 10-9-4 this season and have dropped their last two games away from home. Against teams from the Eastern Conference, Montreal has gone 11-15 this year.
As the underdog, the Canadiens have gone 17-20-7 this season and have gone 2-3 in their last five games. Over their last ten games, Montreal has gone 4-6. For the year, the Canadiens have been the underdog in 44 of their 48 games.
On the offensive side, the Canadiens are scoring an 2.7 goals per game this season, ranking 28th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 28th in the league. Montreal’s offense comes into the game ranked 17th in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 14th in the NHL.
Goalie Jake Allen comes into the game having made 16 starts this season. So far, his record is 5-9 and he has a save percentage of 0.583%.
At home this season, the Penguins have gone 11-8-3, and they are 13-12-4 when favored. Overall, they are in 7th place in the Metropolitan Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 21-17-7. In their last ten games, Pittsburgh has gone 3-7 and have lost their last two games as the favorite.
Against Eastern Conference opponents, the Penguins have gone 11-16 this season, and they are 6-7 against teams in the Metropolitan Division. Over their last five games, Pittsburgh has gone 1-4, and they have lost three straight games.
Offensively, the Penguins come into the game at 3 goals per contest placing 27th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 11th position in the league. In terms of the Penguins’ offense during power plays, they are 26th in power play goals and 27th in shorthanded goals.
Goalie Tristan Jarry gets the start and has made 30 starts this season. His record at this point is 12-14, and his save percentage is 0.835%.
The Penguins enter this game as 1.5-goal favorites and in our projections and we anticipate them winning by a score of 4-3.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens Betting Tips
- Take the Penguins on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Canadiens (+1.5)
- Our NHL model projects 7 goals, and we suggest taking the under
Pittsburgh Penguins Injury Report
- Reilly Smith – Upper Body – Out
- Matt Nieto – Lower Body – Out
- John Ludvig – Upper Body – Out
Montreal Canadiens Injury Report
- Carey Price – Knee – Out
- Brendan Gallagher – Suspension – Out
- Christian Dvorak – Pectoral – Out
- Chris Wideman – Back – Out
- Kirby Dach – Knee – Out
- Alex Newhook – Ankle – Out
