The Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers are two teams in search of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The sports betting world remembers these two teams at the beginning of the season when both were having a difficult time winning games. With all of the March Madness odds going on, the fact that both teams are now looking towards the playoffs can sometimes be lost. The sportsbook reviews for this upcoming Canadiens at Rangers game are much different than they were at the beginning of the season.

Goaltending

When you bet March madness you look for a team that plays solid defense and can keep the other team off the scoreboard. The same is true when betting on a hockey game and in hockey the most important defenseman on the ice is the goaltender.

Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist has won his last two games in impressive fashion by allowing only three goals in those two games. The early struggles of the Rangers were mirrored in Lundqvist’s shaky start. But he has started to string together a good season with a respectable .919% save percentage and a 2.45 goals against average for the season.

The shaky start for the Canadiens can be directly traced back to their goaltending problems. Carey Price was supposed to be the next Patrick Roy. The Canadiens gave him the reigns this season and he has struggled terribly. As the season progressed the Canadiens had seen enough and put Jaroslav Halak in goal to save the season, and save the season he did. Halak is red-hot winning his last five games including one with as shut-out. He is one of the main reasons the Canadiens have bolted from near the basement into seventh place in the conference.

Offense
The Canadiens have always had offense. This year they have nine players with double-digits in goals and three players with 30 or more points. Tomas Plekanec is the team’s leading scorer with 68 points and he has a goal in three of the last five games.

The Rangers have eight players with double-digits in goals, but when you get past leading scorer Marian Gaborik the production really drops off. This is another reason for the Rangers’ early troubles; they cannot put the puck in the net.

Defense

Both teams have more goals against than they do goals for, and the numbers are pretty similar. The Rangers are -7 in the difference between goals for and goals against, and the Canadiens are -3. Much of what the Canadiens have done to close that gap has happened in the last 15 to 20 games with Halak in goal.

Bottom Line
The Canadiens are on fire with a goalie that is on a hot streak. By all accounts this should be a game where the Canadiens roll over the Rangers. The fact that the game is being played in Madison Square Garden may help the Rangers a little, but with the Canadiens riding a huge wave of momentum it will be very difficult for the Rangers to make any progress in their hunt for a playoff spot in this game. Right now the Rangers are in ninth place and the Canadiens are in seventh with the Rangers one point out of a playoff spot. This game does not appear to be the game that will change that for the Rangers.

Pick: Montreal Canadiens 5-2

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Florida Alabama odds probably seem more tempting – after all, those teams are actually good – but the NHL gets our attention whenever the storied Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens meet. As bad as both these teams may be, they always battle harder than normal against each other, treating us to an epic game. Each of their meetings went to overtime so far this season with Montreal winning both, but the Leafs’ time for vengeance may be upon us.

Could Toronto’s online sportsbook odds be trending upward? After starting 0-7-1 the Leafs have gone 6-4-7 – not a great number but one reflecting a relatively competitive team. Phil Kessel has been a major help since joining the team, creating offense off the rush and sniping goals left and right with his lightning-quick release. Niklas Hagman has been absolutely on fire; he’s up to 13 goals and just earned the NHL’s third star of the week after sniping five goals in three games. Toronto’s defense is solidifying – Francois Beauchemin has really settled down – and should welcome Mike Komisarek back from his torn quad for Tuesday’s game..

The Habs have had some bright spots this year, as Carey Price has played well in spurts and Tomas Plekanec has rediscovered his scoring touch, but plenty has gone wrong as well. Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta are hurt and no one is chipping in any semblance of offense besides Mike Cammalleri. The days of Montreal’s deadly power play are long gone as the Habs lack a boomer on the point. Like the Browns in NFL betting, they need a quarterback; Andrei Markov remains on injured reserve.

After their worst start in franchise history, it’s almost like the pressure is off for the Leafs now. They’ve been forgotten and have quietly started stringing wins together. They still need more on offense from guys like Mikhail Grabovski but a game against his hated former team may be just the spark he needs. Bet on the Leafs to get the monkey off their back and steal one from the Habs on the road.

Hockey odds pick: Maple Leafs

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While you’re looking over the NFL betting odds for the Thanksgiving matchups, cool off for a minute and check out the action on the ice on Tuesday, when Columbus will visit Montreal in a clash of two teams with playoff aspirations.

Blue Jackets vs Canadiens odds - Tuesday, November 24, 7:30 PM ET

Ahead of Tuesday’s game in New York against the Rangers, Columbus is 1-0-1 on a five-game road trip. They showed some heart by bouncing back from a 9-1 humiliation in Detroit with a three-game win streak that was broken with a 4-3 shootout loss in Nashville on Saturday. In their lone meeting with Montreal last year, the Blue Jackets got two assists each from Rick Nash and Jan Hejda in a 4-3 overtime win. Steve Mason, the Calder winner who NHL betting players have seen go through a bit of a sophomore slump to begin this year, had 34 saves in the win.

The Canadiens have gotten resurgence from their own young goaltender as Carey Price was named the second star of the week. Price hasn’t given up more than two goals in five straight starts, and seven of his last 10. If the Canadiens are going to be an NHL betting player this year, they need Price to fulfill the potential that we all see. However, he struggles in front of the home fans, which is a testament to how tough it is to play in Montreal. Price is 1-4-1 at home this year with a .888 save percentage. Their goalscorers from last year’s game against Columbus are no longer with the team: Patrice Brisebois, Sergei Kostitsyn and Alex Tanguay.

NHL betting odds in your sportsbook will be close for this game, but they should favor the Canadiens for a few reasons. One, they’re at home, even though the Blue Jackets are decent on the road and have lost just one of their last five in Montreal. Two, the Blue Jackets play on Monday night, while the Canadiens have been off since Saturday, a 3-2 shootout loss at home to Detroit. Three, Price has been playing extremely well as of late, and he needs a win to get the home fans off of his back.

Hockey Picks: Montreal

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