Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins - Odds and Predictions

Where: PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, PA.

When: Friday, February 14, 7 PM EST

How (TV/Radio): TSN2, RDS, AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh | WFAN

Montreal Canadiens (Away)

Head Coach: Claude Julien{All-Time 654-434-10-146 MTL, BOS, NJD}

It’s do-or-die time for the Canadiens as we inch closer to both the trade deadline and playoffs. Currently fifth in the Atlantic division, the Habs are coming off of a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins and have now lost two in a row. They are 6-4-0 across their last ten games.

Offense

When it comes to goals scored this season, Montreal ranks right in the middle of the league at 15th with 176 goals; 142 of those coming at even strength.

No team has more shots on net than the Canadiens, as they have hit the goal 2,024 times. They are the only team with over 2,000 shots this season. However, that volume has only translated into an 8.7 shooting percentage, which ranks as the league’s seventh-worst.

Montreal hasn’t been known for their power play this season, as it ranks 22nd in the league at the time of writing. They have 30 goals this season with the man-advantage. Their power play will have to be at their best Friday night as the Pittsburgh Penguins penalty-killing unit has already registered six short-handed goals this season.

Defense

The biggest struggle facing the Montreal Canadiens is the loss of top defenseman Shea Weber. The star defender will miss the remainder of the regular season after suffering an ankle sprain that may end up requiring surgery.

The Habs are facing a team that allows fewer shots on goal and fewer goals against than themselves. Montreal has allowed the ninth-most goals against this season as well as the ninth-most shots against. The team has a combined save percentage of .904, which ranks them in the middle of the pack.

Montreal has been relatively disciplined this season, averaging 7.4 minutes of penalty time per game. But the Penguins only average 7.5 minutes per game and have a strong power play. Montreal’s penalty-killing only ranks at 18th in the league with a 79.3 percent.

Goaltending

Carey Price is once again expected to be in net for the Montreal Canadiens. Price’s season record currently stands at 24-20-4. He has a .913 save percentage and a goals-against-average of 2.71. He has three shutouts this season.

Pittsburgh Penguins (Home)

Head Coach: Mike Sullivan{All-Time 278-163-15-63 PIT, BOS}

Like their opponents, the Pittsburgh Penguins are coming into this game following a loss (a 2-1 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning). They are 6-3-1 over their last ten, which isn’t bad, but the loss of key forwards are starting to slow the team down.

Offense

Always heralded as one of the most offensive teams in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins currently have the ninth-highest goal total in the league, potting 179 tallies; 141 of them at even strength.

The team only ranks at number-19 when it comes to shots on goal, but their skill is undeniable as the scoring chances they create has led to a 10.2 shooting percentage, which is among the league’s best.

The Penguins have a power play that currently ranks 15th in the league at 19.88 percent. They have netted 32 power-play goals this season.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, they have struggled all season in the faceoff circle. The Pens have a faceoff percentage of just 48.5 percent which is within the bottom-five percentages in the NHL this season.

Defense

As mentioned earlier, this team’s penalty-killing unit has six shorties this season. The Pens only average 7.5 penalty minutes per game and they rank eighth in the league when it comes to killing penalties with 82.78 percent.

The Penguins have played exceptionally well this season despite injuries to stars like Kris Letang over the course of the season. Pittsburgh has allowed the third-fewest shots against this season and the fifth-fewest goals against.

A big part of those numbers are due to great goaltending. The team’s tandem of Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry have a combined .909 save percentage, which rounds out the league’s top-ten. They have four shutouts between them.

Goaltending

Pittsburgh’s latest standout performer Tristan Jarry is expected to get the start in goal for the Penguins Friday night. Jarry has put together a season record of 18-81 to go along with his three shutouts. His GAA sits at 2.18 and he boasts a .929 save percentage.

Last Head-to-Head

These two Eastern Conference teams last faced off against one another earlier this year. On January 4, the Penguins handed the Canadiens a 3-2 loss.

What’s at Stake?

As we head closer to the playoffs, every game matters to those on the bubble. Pittsburgh currently sits in a playoff spot but every point matters, especially for a team that has suffered injury issues all season long. For Montreal, they sit nine points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot in the Atlantic division. With Shea Weber out with injury, it will be tough, but this Habs is still more than capable of making the postseason.

Both teams have injuries to exploit. Montreal is without their best defenseman while the Penguins will have two of their best depth forwards on the shelf in this matchup. Which team is better equipped to adjust on the fly?

How will Montreal deal with the pressure of playing at Pittsburgh’s home arena, where the Penguins are an impressive 19-5-4 this season? The Habs are only 14-10-3 on the road.

For a team boasting Sidney Crosby, the Penguins have been terrible in the faceoff circle. The Habs rank ninth in the league. How big of a role will this play? Will Montreal have the advantage when it comes to time-on-attack and puck control?

Montreal Canadiens Injury Report

F paul Byron – DL (knee)

D Shea Weber – DL (foot)

F Tomas Tatar – day-to-day (hand)

Pittsburgh Penguins Injury Report

D Brian Dumoulin – DL (ankle)

F Nick Bjugstad – DL (abdomen)

F Jake Guentzel – DL (upper-body)

F Dominik Kahun – day-to-day (concussion)

D John Marino – OUT (face)

Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins Odds

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Good luck!