The Montreal Canadiens (15-16-5) travel to face off against the Dallas Stars (22-9-4) on Tuesday, January 2nd. This game will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Stars are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Canadiens are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Lightning. Puck drop is set for 8:00 ET.

Montreal Canadiens vs Dallas Stars

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

This season, the Canadiens have put together an overall record of 15-16-5. When playing on the road, Montreal has gone 8-7-3, while their home record stands at 7-9-2. In the Eastern Atlantic division, they are currently 6th, and in the Eastern conference, they come into the game sitting 13th. Montreal has five wins by more than one goals and dropped 11 games by multiple goals. Their overall puck line record is 22-14 this season.

After suffering a 4-3 loss on the road to the Lightning, the Canadiens are looking to bounce back today. Offensively, the Canadiens couldn’t break through in the first period, but they scored two times in the second period and one goal in the third. All three goals came at even strength. They finished with 30 shots on goal and had 5 turnovers.

Despite the defeat, Montreal managed to cover the puck line, going into the game as the underdogs. With a combined total of 7 goals, the teams exceeded the over/under line of 6.5 goals set for the game.

The Dallas Stars Are Coming Off A Win

So far this season, the Stars have an overall record of 22-9-4. On the road, Dallas is 10-4-3 and 12-5-1 at home. This record has them sitting 3rd in the Western Central division and 5th in the Western conference. This season, Dallas’ average scoring margin is +.6, which has their puck line record at 12-23. Their average home scoring margin is +.7, and in road games, it stands at +.5.

In their recent matchup, the Stars hosted the Blackhawks and came away with a 8-1 victory. Against the Blackhawks, the Stars’ offense scored in all three periods. Dallas’ one power-play goals contributed to their total of 8 goals. Their offensive performance came with 41 shots on goal and 11 giveaways.

Dallas secured a win against the puck line, entering the game as the favorites with a -1.5 goal advantage. The teams surpassed the over/under line, which was set at 6.5 goals, with a combined total of 9 goals.

Montreal Offense Breakdown

Offensively, the Canadiens come into the game at 2.8 goals per contest placing 28th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 26th position in the league. This season, the Canadiens are 4-3 when getting more shots on goal than their opponents. And in games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 11-13 record.

The Canadiens’ over/under record this season is 18-17-1. Last season, they had 42 games failed to surpass this game’s over/under line of 6.5. Overall, their games averaged 6.6 goals per game.

Dallas Offense Breakdown

In terms of their offensive performance, the Stars are averaging 3.6 goals per game this season, putting them in the 4th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 23rd in the league. Dallas’ offense is currently ranked 17th in power play goals. When it comes to shorthanded goals, they are 5th in the league.

So far, the Stars have an over/under record of 22-13-0. Coming into the game, they have played 22 games that went beyond the 6.5 over/under line. Their games, on average, had 6.7 goals per game.

Montreal Team Defense

The Canadiens’ defense comes into the game with a ranking of 30th in takeaways and an average of 5.1 takeaways per contest. They hold 4th place in the NHL for goals allowed, with an average of 3.2 goals given up per game.

Dallas Team Defense

In terms of defense, the Stars head into the game ranked 19th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30.3 shots per game against Dallas. So far, they are 27th in shutouts, achieving 1 shutouts.

Canadiens vs Stars Trends

• Montreal has a 1-4 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 3. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 3-2.
• Through their last five home games, Dallas has an puck line record of just 1-4. However, their overall record was 2-3 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• Through their last three games as the underdog, the Stars have an puck line record of 3-0 and a straight up mark of 2-1.
• Although the Canadiens have a strong straight up record in their last three games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the puck line going 0-3.

Canadiens vs Stars Prediction

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Canadiens to pick up on a win over the Stars and the road. With the moneyline sitting at +238, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Canadiens straight-up.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Canadiens winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Canadiens straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing 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.