The Montreal Canadiens (29-35-12) travel to face off against the New York Rangers (51-21-4) on Sunday, April 7th. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York and televised on ESPN+. The Rangers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Canadiens are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Maple Leafs. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.
Canadiens vs Rangers
The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
On the year, Montreal has gone 29-35-12 and is in 15th place in the Eastern Conference. Against other teams from the East, the Canadiens have gone 15-29. On the road, Montreal has gone 14-15-8.
Over their last ten games, the Canadiens have gone 4-6, and they have lost two straight games. When playing as the underdog this year, Montreal has gone 24-34-12, and they have lost two straight games when listed as the underdog.
Montreal comes into the game with a puck line record of 48-28 this year, including going 24-13 on the road. The Canadiens have gone 46-24 against the puck line as the underdog this season.
So far this year, Montreal has had 12 wins by multiple goals and 17 wins by just one goal. The Canadiens have dropped their last two games against the puck line and have gone just 5-5 in their last ten games.
Coming off a 4-2 loss at home to the Maple Leafs, the Canadiens are hoping to bounce back today. The Canadiens offense struggled in the first and third periods versus the Maple Leafs, but they did score two times in the second period. Montreal’s one power-play goals contributed to their total of 2 goals. Their offensive performance came with 26 shots on goal and nine giveaways.
Montreal entered as the underdog and suffered both a straight-up loss and did not cover the puck line. With a combined total of 6 goals, the game concluded below the over/under line of 6.5.
The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win
At home this season, the Rangers have gone 26-10-0, and they have won two straight games as the favorite. In the Eastern Conference, New York is in first place with 106 points and a record of 51-21-4. Against other teams in the East, the Rangers have gone 31-14.
Over their last ten games, New York has gone 8-2, and they have won four of their last five games. As the favorite this season, the Rangers have gone 40-17-2, and they have won two straight games in this role. Overall, the Rangers have gone 40-17-2 as the favorite.
At home this season, the Rangers have gone 16-20 vs. the puck line. Overall, New York’s puck line record is 38-38, including 23-36 when favored. In their games as the favorite, the Rangers have an average scoring margin of +.5 goals per game.
So far, New York has 29 wins by multiple goals and 22 wins by just one goal. In their last 10 games, the Rangers’ puck line record is 4-6, including 0-3 in their last three home games.
The Rangers most recently took on the Red Wings and secured a win with a score of 4-3. In all three periods, the Rangers’ offense found the net against the Red Wings. Of New York’s four goals, one came while in power play. They ended the game with 38 shots on goal and had seven giveaways.
Although New York secured a straight-up win, they did not cover the puck line, as they were favored by -1.5. The combined total of 7 goals exceeded the over/under line, which was set at 6 goals for the game.
Montreal Offense Breakdown
The Canadiens come into the game scoring an average of 2.7 goals per game, putting them 27th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 27th in the league. The Canadiens went 6-9 in games where they had more shots than their opponents. However, in games with fewer shots on goal, their record was 23-25.
The Canadiens’ over/under record this season is 37-37-2. For the season, they have had 40 games failing to surpass this game’s over/under line of 6.5. Overall, their games are averaging 6.2 goals per game.
Rangers Offense Breakdown
The Rangers come into the game scoring an average of 3.4 goals per game, putting them 7th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 16th in the league. This year, the Rangers have recorded a 30-14 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 20-6 record.
This season, the Rangers have an over/under record of 42-31-3. Throughout last season, they played 46 games that did not exceed the 6.5 over/under line. On average, their games featured 6 goals per game.
Montreal Team Defense
Defensively, the Canadiens are currently 6th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 32.4 shots per game against Montreal. They also are 25th in shutouts, coming in with 2 shutouts.
New York Team Defense
Defensively, the Rangers come into the season ranked 20th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.4 shots per game against New York. For the season, they are ranked 19th in shutouts, coming in with 4 shutouts.
Canadiens vs Rangers Trends
- Across their ten previous road games, Montreal has an puck line mark of 7-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 3-7 while averaging 2 goals per game.
- Across the Rangers last three home games, the team averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 4. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 0-3, while going 2-1 straight-up.
- New York has done well both straight up and vs the puck line when favored to win the game, going 3-2 SU and 3-2 puck line in their last five games.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Montreal has an puck line mark of 4-6 while going 7-3 straight up.
Canadiens vs Rangers Prediction
If you’re looking for a moneyline pick, my choice is the Canadiens to take down the Rangers on the road. With the moneyline currently at +255, I’m placing my bet on the Canadiens straight-up.
Our projections have the Canadiens pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Canadiens, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.
For those looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:April 7, 2024 Canadiens, Rangers