Montreal Canadiens (22-26-8) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (24-21-8)
February 22, 2024 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Pittsburgh Penguins -225 / Montreal Canadiens +185; Over/Under: +6.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Montreal Canadiens will play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Montreal has lost five of their last six games, while Pittsburgh has also lost five of their last six. Let’s take a look at the betting matchup and the Canadiens vs Penguins prediction.
Canadiens Preview
The Montreal Canadiens are 22-26-8 this year after they lost to Buffalo by a score of 3-2 in their last game. Montreal led 1-0 and 2-1, but they allowed the last two goals in the game for the loss. The Canadiens out shot Buffalo by a total of 31-23 and went 0-4 on the power play in the game. Montreal lost to Washington and the Rangers in the two games prior to Buffalo, but they did beat Anaheim before that. The Canadiens are scoring 2.78 goals per game and they are allowing 3.53 goals against per game, while going 20.1% on the power play and 74% on the penalty kill. Nick Suzuki has led Montreal with 20 goals, 33 assists, and 131 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for Montreal is Jake Allen, who is 5-11-3 this season with a 3.66 goals against average and a .894 save percentage.
Penguins Preview
The Pittsburgh Penguins are 24-21-8 this season after they lost to the Islanders in overtime by a score of 5-4 in their last game. Pittsburgh trailed 4-2 in the third period, but they were able to tie the game, before losing in overtime. The Penguins out shot New York by a total of 41-33 and went 0-3 on the power play in the game. Pittsburgh lost to the Kings by a score of 2-1 in the game prior to New York, but did beat Chicago before that. The Penguins are scoring 2.89 goals per game and they are allowing 2.68 goals against per game, while going 13.5% on the power play and 82.1% on the penalty kill. Sidney Crosby has led Pittsburgh with 31 goals, 24 assists, and 190 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for Pittsburgh is Tristan Jarry, who is 14-17-4 this season with a 2.50 goals against average and a .914 save percentage.
Canadiens vs Penguins Betting Prediction
Both of these teams come into this game after losing five of their last six games, but Montreal will be on the second game of a back to back here. The Canadiens played decent on Wednesday night against Buffalo, but gave up the 2-1 lead for the loss. Pittsburgh is 13-10-4 at home, while Montreal is 11-10-5 on the road. Neither team has been very good offensively, but Pittsburgh has been one of the better defensive teams in the NHL. I think we are going to see a lower scoring game here and I am taking the under.
