The Vancouver Canucks (18-12-8) travel to face off against the Montreal Canadiens (18-18-3) on Monday, January 6th. This game will be played at Bell Centre in Montreal and televised on ESPN+. The Canucks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Canadiens are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Penguins. Puck drop is set for 7:30 ET.

Canucks vs Canadiens

The Vancouver Canucks Are Coming Off A Win

Vancouver improved to 18-12-8 with a 3-2 win over the Sharks. The Canucks were favored on the puck line and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 5 fell short of that mark.

The Sharks took the lead in the second period, but Pius Suter tied it up for Vancouver at 5:19. Jake DeBrusk gave the Canucks the lead in the third, only for the Sharks to equalize again. Suter scored the game-winner with just 26 seconds left.

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a 3-1 loss to the Penguins, the Canadiens fell to 18-18-3 this season. Montreal entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 4 fell short of that mark.

Montreal’s only goal came in the third period, after the Penguins had already scored twice. The Canadiens’ defense struggled, allowing a goal in each period, including an empty-netter with 0:45 left in the game.

Vancouver Offense Breakdown

In their 3-2 win over the Sharks, Pius Suter led the Canucks’ offense with two goals, bringing his season total to four. Jake DeBrusk added his first goal of the season during the third period.

Vancouver took 27 shots on goal but didn’t score in the first period. Suter’s first goal came in the second, and he later netted the game-winner with just 26 seconds left in regulation.

Canadiens Offense Breakdown

Montreal’s offense was held in check, managing just one goal in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Christian Dvorak scored his first goal of the season, with Emil Heineman picking up his first assist and Juraj Slafkovsky adding his seventh.

The Canadiens fired 26 shots on goal but were hindered by 20 giveaways. They were shut out for the first two periods before Dvorak’s goal at 14:28 in the third period.

Vancouver Team Defense

Vancouver’s defense gave up the first goal 2:37 into the second period and another at 18:43 in the third, but they held on for a 3-2 win. Kevin Lankinen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense added 5 takeaways and 24 hits.

Montreal Team Defense

Defensively, the Canadiens will look to bounce back after giving up the first two goals in their last game, both scored by Sidney Crosby. The first came at 15:57 in the first period, and the second was a power-play goal at 18:40 in the second. Montreal did cut the lead to 2-1 in the third, but they gave up an empty-netter with 45 seconds left, leading to a 3-1 loss. Goalie Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Canucks vs Canadiens Trends

• Although Vancouver has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 1-2. The team averaged 2 goals per game in these games.
• Through their last ten home games, Montreal has an puck line record of just 6-4. However, their overall record was 6-4 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• As the betting underdog, the Canadiens have an puck line record of 3-0 in their last three games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 3-0.
• As the betting favorite, the Canucks have an puck line mark of just 0-5 in their last five games. Vancouver posted a straight up mark of 1-4 in these matchups.

Canucks vs Canadiens Prediction

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Canadiens to pick up on a win over the Canucks at home. With the moneyline sitting at +108, I’ll be locking in a 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.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.