Montreal Canadiens vs. Winnipeg Jets NHL Picks, Odds, Predictions 6/4/2021

The Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets meet in game two of their best of seven playoff series in NHL action from Bell MTS Place on Friday night.

The Montreal Canadiens will try to head back home with a 2-0 series lead after opening the set up with a 5-3 win over the Jets last time out. Jesperi Kotkaniemi gave the Habs the lead just 3:30 into the game before Erik Staal doubled Montreal’s lead just 1:40 later. Adam Lowry got the Jets on the board short-handed with just over eight minutes to go in the opening frame, but Nick Suzuki restored Montreal’s two-goal cushion with just under three minutes to play in the 1^st. The 3-1 score held through the 2^nd period and well into the 3^rd before Derek Forbort pulled Winnipeg back to within a goal just before the midway point of the 3^rd but Brendan Gallagher responded just 1:42 later to give Montreal a 4-2 lead. Kyle Connor made things interesting late, bringing Winnipeg back to 4-3, but Jake Evans would pot the empty-netter to ice the win for the Canadiens at 5-3, but paid the price after a nasty hit from Jets forward Mark Scheifele, taking Evans out with a late hit that got Scheifele a charging major, a game misconduct and a call from the league office while Evans is out indefinitely with a concussion.

Carey Price got the win for Montreal between the pipes after stopping 27 of 30 shots faced in the win while Connor Hellebuyck took the loss for Winnipeg in goal after allowing 4 goals on 32 shots faced in defeat.

Montreal is 4-0 in their last 4 games overall and 5-2 in their last 7 games following a win while the under is 6-2-1 in their last 9 Friday games. Winnipeg is 6-1 in their last 7 games overall and 2-5 in their last 7 games against a team with a losing record while the over is 4-0 in their last 4 home games. The over is 16-5 in the last 21 meetings between these two teams.

The big talk is about how there will be retribution for Scheifele’s hit on Jake Evans that left Evans concussed, and I don’t doubt there will be, especially if Schefiele returns in the series. However, a game still has to be played and while there will be physicality, history has shown us that these teams like to light the lamp when they face off and I think that’s no different here. I think we could see another 6 or 7 goal game, so give me the over here.