The Pittsburgh Penguins (1-2-0) travel to face off against the Montreal Canadiens (2-1-0) on Monday, October 14th. This game will be played at Bell Centre in Montreal and televised on ESPN+. The Canadiens are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Penguins are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Maple Leafs. Puck drop is set for 7:30 ET.
Penguins vs Canadiens
The Pittsburgh Penguins Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Following a 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs, the Penguins’ record now stands at 1-2-0. Pittsburgh led 1-0 after the first period, but Toronto responded with four unanswered goals, including an empty-netter.
The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 6 fell just short. As underdogs on the puck line, the Penguins failed to cover.
The Montreal Canadiens Are Coming Off A Win
With a 4-1 win over the Senators, the Canadiens improved to 2-1-0 this season. Montreal, as underdogs on the puck line, covered the +1.5 goals. The total for the game was set at 6 goals, but the combined score of 5 fell short of that mark.
Three different players contributed to the Canadiens’ scoring, with Cole Caufield leading the way with two goals. Montreal’s defense held Ottawa scoreless until the third period.
Pittsburgh Offense Breakdown
Kris Letang netted his first goal of the season on a power play, while Rickard Rakell added his first goal in the third period. Evgeni Malkin, with his fourth assist of the season, and Sidney Crosby, with his third, contributed to Letang’s opening goal.
The Penguins took 23 shots on goal and had 9 giveaways. After Letang’s goal at 9:02 in the first period, Pittsburgh was held scoreless until Rakell found the net at 7:31 in the third period.
Canadiens Offense Breakdown
Montreal took 26 shots on goal and scored four times in their 4-1 victory over Ottawa. Cole Caufield netted two goals, bringing his season total to five. Emil Heineman opened the scoring with his first goal of the year, while Alex Newhook added his first goal in the third period.
Juraj Slafkovsky picked up two assists, giving him four on the season. Lane Hutson also contributed with his fourth assist. The Canadiens scored twice in the first period and added two more in the third.
Pittsburgh Team Defense
On the defensive side, the Penguins will look to bounce back after allowing four goals to the Maple Leafs. Joel Blomqvist made 29 saves with a 90.6% save percentage, but the defense gave up three straight goals after taking a 1-0 lead. The Penguins’ defense also recorded 13 hits and 12 takeaways.
Montreal Team Defense
Sam Montembeault recorded 24 saves with a 96% save percentage, helping Montreal to a 4-1 win over Ottawa. The Canadiens’ defense added 3 takeaways and 17 hits, allowing only one goal 5:30 into the 3rd period.
Penguins vs Canadiens Trends
- Through their last ten road games, Pittsburgh has an puck line record of just 6-4. However, their overall record was 4-6 while averaging 3 goals per game.
- When looking at their past ten home matchups, Montreal has an puck line record of 7-3 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 5-5 overall in these games.
- As the betting underdog, the Canadiens have an puck line mark of just 7-3 in their last ten games. Montreal posted a straight up mark of 3-7 in these matchups.
- The last ten games that Pittsburgh was favored, they have an puck line mark of 4-6 while going 6-4 straight up.
Penguins vs Canadiens Prediction
When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Canadiens to come out with a win against the Penguins while playing at home. Considering the moneyline odds at +114, I’m placing my bet on the Canadiens to win outright.
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.
With an over/under line sitting at 6 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down 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:October 14, 2024 Canadiens, Penguins