The Arizona Coyotes and the Montreal Canadiens meet in NHL action from the Bell Centre on Tuesday night. Who comes out on top in Tuesday’s inter-conference matchup? Let’s dive in and find out with our Coyotes vs. Canadiens Prediction.
Arizona Coyotes Team Preview
The Arizona Coyotes come into this one looking to snap a double-digit losing streak after a 4-3 OT loss to Winnipeg last time out. Clayton Keller leads the Coyotes in scoring with 52 points including 22 goals and 30 assists while Matias Maccelli has 38 points with 28 assists of his own. Lawson Crouse has 32 points with a team-high 20 goals as well while Nick Schmaltz has 34 points with 16 goals and 18 assists as well. Alex Kerfoot has 33 points with 25 assists as well this season. Connor Ingram has posted a 17-13-3 record with a 2.80 GAA and a .911 save percentage in goal for Arizona while Karel Vejmelka is 6-15-2 with a 3.62 GAA and an .893 save percentage this season.
Arizona Coyotes Team Facts
- The Coyotes have lost each of their last 12 games.
- The road team has covered the puck line in each of the Coyotes’ last six games.
- The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Coyotes’ last five games.
- The Coyotes have lost the first period in each of their last six games against Atlantic Division opponents.
Montreal Canadiens Team Preview
The Montreal Canadiens come into this game looking to snap a five-game losing streak after a 4-3 loss to New Jersey last time out. Nick Suzuki has a team-high 55 points with 22 goals and 33 assists while Cole Caufield has 46 points with 19 goals and 27 assists. Mike Matheson has 43 points with a team-high 35 assists of his own. Jake Allen is 5-12-3 with an .892 save percentage and 3.69 GAA while Sam Montembault is 12-10-4 with a 3.21 GAA and a .902 save percentage in goal for Montreal this season. Cayden Primeau is also 5-6-1 with a 3.06 GAA and a .901 save percentage this season for the Habs.
Montreal Canadiens Team Facts
- The favorites have won each of the Canadiens’ last eight games.
- The Canadiens have covered the puck line in each of their last six night games against Central Division opponents.
- The Canadiens have lost the first period in each of their last four games at Bell Centre following a road loss.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in 16 of the Canadiens’ last 17 games following a road loss.
Coyotes vs. Canadiens Prediction
I’m on the Canadiens here. It’s simply the lesser of two evils for me in this game. Montreal’s been bad, and Arizona’s due, but the Coyotes would have a much easier time being sold here if they were at home where they play their far better hockey. Montreal’s struggled, but they’ve been competitive at home despite recent losses and I think home ice proves to be the difference here.