Head-to-head history
Vancouver has dominated Montreal in recent memory, winning three meetings in a row. During that span, they’ve outscored them 16-9. Last season, it was 5-2 and 4-1 victories for the Canucks over the Habs. Montreal haven’t beaten Vancouver since 2022, so they have something to prove on Monday.
Canucks aren’t playing great
Vancouver isn’t playing the most consistent hockey lately, posting a 3-4-3 record in their last 10 outings. There has been drama between two of their stars in Elias Pettersson and JT Miller, with the team reportedly taking trade calls on both players. While it’s unlikely they actually move Pettersson or Miller, it’s not a good sign. Neither star is contributing much this season but thankfully, others are stepping up. That’s why the Canucks are still in fourth place in the Pacific.
Rick Tocchet’s group has an 18-12-8 record and have been led by Quinn Hughes’ 42 points. From a scoring standpoint, it’s been offseason addition Jake DeBrusk who is their best player, finding the back of the net 16 times. Conor Garland and Brock Boeser are also doing their part. Vancouver is 14th in goals scored and 22nd in most goals allowed.
This upcoming road trip will be a very good test for the Canucks. After visiting Montreal, they will face the Capitals, Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, and Jets. Those are all potential playoff teams. It’s a good gauge to see where Vancouver is truly at when it comes to being an actual contender this season. The visitors are favored at -133 odds for this game at Sports Interaction.
Montreal slowly improving
Perhaps the Canadiens aren’t ready to contend, but they’re showing improvements after an atrocious couple of seasons. Montreal is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and has an 18-18-3 record overall, which is sixth in the Atlantic Division. That’s respectable for this point in the campaign. If you actually look at the teams the Habs have beaten in the past weeks, it’s very impressive.
Montreal has taken down the Panthers, Lightning, Golden Knights, and most recently, the Avalanche. The wins over Florida and Tampa were both very convincing, too. Kirby Dach and Cole Caufield lifted their squad to the win over Colorado with goals in the shootout on Saturday. Caufield equalized late in the third period to force OT and eventually, a shootout. He’s been their best scorer, netting 21 times and assisting 15.
Six different players on this roster have at least 20 points, with Nick Suzuki’s 38 points leading the charge. While the Habs are only 19th in goals scored, they’re putting the puck in the back of the net a lot more as of late, which is certainly a positive sign. We’ll see if they can keep it rolling on Monday as a home underdog at NHL sportsbooks.
