A busy hockey night on November 2nd features a matchup between the struggling Pittsburgh Penguins and the injury-ridden Montreal Canadiens. Welcome to NHL predictions here on Last Word on Hockey! Each day, we examine the NHL’s upcoming games, providing predictions and analyzing matchups. In today’s article, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins host Nick Suzuki and the Canadiens in Pittsburgh.
NHL Predictions
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Head-to-Head: Canadiens 0-1 Penguins
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT); 4:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
TV: NHL.tv; SN+; CITY; SNE; TVAS
Starting the second month of the NHL season, the Penguins are looking to establish momentum. Coming off a victory over the Anaheim Ducks, the Penguins sport a mediocre 4-7-1 record. Team defence has been lacklustre, with goaltenders Joel Blomqvist and Alex Nedeljkovic doing their best to bail out the team play. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens have had a challenging start to the season. Following multiple injuries to start the year, Montreal sits 4-6-1 coming into their game against Pittsburgh.
The Penguins Story
This aging Penguins group has shown moments of excellence hidden beneath mounds of inconsistency. Pittsburgh entered their game against Anaheim on a six-game losing skid. Head coach Mike Sullivan has united Crosby with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell on the top line to give the team a jolt offensively. After peppering Lukas Dostal with 46 shots, the Penguins came away with the 2-1 overtime win following a pair of Crosby goals. However, loading up on the top line has weakened the depth of the other forward lines. Forwards like Lars Eller and Drew O’Connor will be leaned on for depth scoring. Expect a second line of O’Connor, Eller, and Noel Acciari to push for offence when the Crosby line is resting.
Goaltending-wise, Tristan Jarry is still absent from the team on an AHL conditioning stint. Blomqvist and Nedeljkovic have been playing a tandem system, rotating each game unless either goaltender has a stellar game. Although Nedeljkovic stopped 22 of 23 shots against the Ducks, Blomqvist is likely to get the nod against Montreal. Facing a defensively challenged Montreal team, activating the team’s offensive weapons will be paramount for the Penguins success.
The Canadiens Story
The Montreal Canadiens have had a challenging start to the season. Off-season acquisition Patrik Laine has yet to dress for the team in a regular season game due to injury. Former fifth-overall pick David Reinbacher is also out with an injury. However, the Canadiens have seen outstanding performances from some of their core players. Cole Caufield has had an explosive 11 games to start the year, with 10 goals and an assist so far. Star linemates Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky are right there with Caufield, scoring 13 points in 11 games and seven points in eight games respectively. Defensively, Mike Matheson has notched nine assists in 11 games, continuing his offensive production from last season. Additionally, rookie sensation Lane Hutson has tallied seven assists in 11 games from the back end as well. Although Montreal’s defensive corps is lacking, their offensive firepower is dangerous.
Goaltender Sam Montembeault has been the subject of much discussion this season. With the NHL’s 4 Nations tournament next year, Canada lacks a clear option to start in net. Montembeault has quickly become a candidate with many eyes on him. To start the season, he has gone 3-4 with a .891 save percentage behind a defensively weak Montreal team. Montreal is stacked with firepower even with Laine injured. Their key to victory will include their top young stars exploiting the Penguins’ older and slower defence.
Prediction
Montreal has incredible talent and a bright future. However, their stars are inexperienced and the team has put focus on player development over team success this season. Meanwhile, the Penguins are looking to turn their win over the Ducks into a streak. Montreal will likely start the game hot, but if the Penguins netminder is able to survive an early onslaught, the stage will be set for Pittsburgh’s stars to take over.
Prediction: Penguins win 4-3
Prop Bets of the Night
The Penguins and the Canadiens are in a similar spot. They’re generating offence, while being vastly outscored. As such, I would recommend the over-7 on Fanduel at +132.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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