The Montreal Canadiens go on the road to play the Boston Bruins on Thursday. The puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET.
The Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 at home on Wednesday. Boston, meanwhile, suffered a 6-4 loss to the Florida Panthers on the road on Tuesday.
Canadiens vs Bruins: Head-to-head & key numbers
- Montreal is 364-282-103-12 all-time against Boston.
- The Bruins averaged 3.2 goals per game last season.
- The Canadiens allowed 3.4 goals per game last season.
- Boston allowed 2.69 goals per game last season.
- Montreal averaged 2.8 goals per game last season.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins: Preview
In the game against the Leafs, Sam Montembeault played well but the Canadiens offense was a concern as they had multiple 5-on-3s and couldn't capitalize.
Boston, meanwhile, struggled against Florida, as goalie Joonas Korpisalo wasn't his best against the Panthers.
“We weren’t good enough in so many areas tonight,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said, via NHL.com. “They were. Their execution was really good and ours was really poor. I can’t pinpoint why we looked slow, but we looked slow the entire game, not just the first 10 minutes."
Jeremy Swayman should be starting in goal, which is a big boost to the Bruins.
Canadiens vs Bruins: Odds & Prediction
Montreal is a +220 underdog while Boston is a -275 favorite. The over/under is set at six goals.
The Canadiens beat the Maple Leafs due to Monetmbeault's play but Montreal was outshot and couldn't muster offensive chances. Boston has a good chance to score plenty here.
The Canadiens offense will struggle to score against Swayman, who is one of the best goalies in the NHL here. Boston, meanwhile, will be fired up playing at home while Montreal, coming off a win, should have some tired legs with this being a back-to-back.
Boston should cruise to a lopsided win here, backed by a solid performance from Jeremy Swayman.
Prediction: Boston 4, Montreal 1.
Canadiens vs Bruins: Betting Tips
Tip 1: Boston -1.5 (-105).
Tip 2: Under 6 goals (-115)
Tip 3: First period over 1.5 goals (-125)