The Montreal Canadiens (15-14-5) travel to face off against the Florida Panthers (21-12-2) on Saturday, December 30th. This game will be played at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise. The Panthers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Canadiens are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Hurricanes. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Montreal Canadiens vs Florida Panthers

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Coming into their game vs. Panthers, the Canadiens have a 15-14-5 record. They hold a 7-9-2 record when playing at home, and they have gone 8-5-3 on the road. They are currently positioned 6th in the Eastern Atlantic division and 13th in the Eastern conference. Looking at Montreal’s average scoring margin, it is -0.6, which has led to a puck line record of 21-13. When playing at home, their scoring margin is -0.8, and on the road, it is -0.2.

Coming off a 5-3 loss on the road to the Hurricanes, the Canadiens are hoping to bounce back today. Against the Hurricanes, the Canadiens scored two goals in the first period and one time in the 3rd period. Out of Montreal’s three goals, one were scored during power plays. They concluded the game with 21 shots on goal and had six giveaways.

Entering the game as the underdog, Montreal not only suffered a straight-up loss but also failed to cover the puck line. The teams surpassed the over/under line, which was set at 6.5 goals, with a combined total of 8 goals.

The Florida Panthers Are Coming Off A Win

This season, the Panthers have put together an overall record of 21-12-2. When playing on the road, Florida has gone 10-7-2, while their home record stands at 11-5-0. They are currently positioned 2nd in the Eastern Atlantic division and 3rd in the Eastern conference. Looking at Florida’s average scoring margin, it is +.3, which has led to a puck line record of 16-19. When playing at home, their scoring margin is +.4, and on the road, it is +.2.

In their recent matchup, the Panthers hosted the Rangers and came away with a 4-3 victory. Against the Rangers, the Panthers’ offense scored in all three periods. Out of Florida’s four goals, one were scored during power plays. They concluded the game with 32 shots on goal and had six giveaways.

Florida’s straight-up victory didn’t translate to covering the puck line in the game, despite being favored by -1.5. With a combined total of 7 goals, the teams exceeded the over/under line of 6 goals set for the game.

Montreal Offense Breakdown

In terms of their offensive performance, the Canadiens are averaging 2.8 goals per game this season, putting them in the 28th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 28th in the league. Montreal’s offense comes into the game ranked 17th in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 16th in the NHL.

This season, the Canadiens have an over/under record of 17-16-1. Throughout last season, they played 42 games that did not exceed the 6.5 over/under line. On average, their games featured 6.6 goals per game.

Florida Offense Breakdown

Offensively, the Panthers come into the game at 2.9 goals per contest placing 21st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 3rd position in the league. Florida’s offense comes into the game ranked 21st in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 24th in the NHL.

The Panthers come in with an over/under record of 14-21-0. Over the course of the season, they have had 21 games failing to surpass the 6.5 goal over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is at 5.6 per game.

Montreal Team Defense

Entering the game, the Canadiens’ defense ranks 31st in takeaways, averaging 4.9 takeaways per contest. In the NHL, they currently stand at 5th in terms of goals allowed, giving up an average of 3.2 goals per game.

Florida Team Defense

Florida defense takes on the Canadiens ranked 27th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 27.1 shots per game against Florida. They alsso are 14th in shutouts, with 2 shutouts.

Canadiens vs Panthers Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Montreal has an puck line record of 4-1 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
• In their last three games at home, the Panthers have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team averaged 3 goals per game in this stretch.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Panthers have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 3-0.
• In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Canadiens have a straight up record of 7-3 and an puck line mark of 3-7.

Canadiens vs Panthers Prediction

When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Canadiens to come out with a win against the Panthers while playing on the road. Considering the moneyline odds at +205, I’m placing my bet on the Canadiens to win outright.

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.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering 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.