Canadiens vs. Islanders Odds
| Canadiens Odds | +290 |
| Islanders Odds | -375 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (-120/-102) |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | SN1 |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
With their playoff hopes still alive as they head into Game 82, the New York Islanders will look to close out their 2022-23 season on a high note when they host the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
The Canadiens will be starting a back-to-back set, and close out their season at home against the league-leading Boston Bruins on Thursday. With just one win in their past six games, they're playing out the string and looking toward the upcoming draft lottery.
Here's the latest on both teams, and your best bet for Canadiens vs Islanders.
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are last in the Atlantic Division, but in the big picture, the season has been a success. With two games remaining, the club has improved by 13 points from its last-place showing a year ago, Martin St. Louis has proven himself as an effective coach and the roster is flush with young talent on the rise.
But right now, a long list of both youngsters and veterans are sitting on the injured list and won't play again this season. Since the March 3 trade deadline, Mike Matheson has been Montreal's blue-line leader. He's averaging more than 26 minutes of ice time per game and has 17 points in those 19 games. His 34 points for the season are also a career high, even though he has dressed for just 46 games.
Up front, captain Nick Suzuki is Montreal's only player to dress in all 80 games. He leads the team with 64 points and also has 17 points in the past 19 games.
When everything clicks for the Canadiens, they can overwhelm opponents. Two of their past three wins have been blowouts — 6-2 against Washington and 8-2 over Columbus. But Montreal has lost six of its past nine and barely generated any offense — just seven total goals in those six games.
In net, Jake Allen looks slated to rejoin the Canadiens after missing the past six games with a lower-body injury. It's not clear how the duties will be shared, but expect him and Sam Montembeault to split these final two games.
New York Islanders
After dominant wins over Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, the Islanders looked set to punch their playoff ticket on Monday. But the Washington Capitals picked up their first win in seven games and the Islanders will now need some help to squeak into a wild-card spot.
Which version of the Islanders will show up Wednesday? Well, they are somewhat better on home ice, and have won their past three home games by a combined 15-2 score. And while the Isles seem to self-sabotage every time things start to go their way, Lane Lambert's crew also seems to consistently find a way back into the fight.
By most metrics, New York is by far the better squad. But that 9.8% success rate on the power play since the trade deadline is the worst in the NHL. The Islanders have now gone eight games without a power-play goal.
In net, expect Ilya Sorokin to make his eighth-straight start. He's at a 2.35 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage this season, and sits third in the NHL at 39.2 goals saved above expected.
Canadiens vs. Islanders Pick
Though the Islanders and Canadiens both have a tendency to win big and lose big, their two previous games against each other were close — 2-1 and 4-3.
Since the trade deadline, the Canadiens are 2-7-0 on the road. It seems unlikely they'll mount any sort of meaningful push on Tuesday — and the Islanders should be ready to leave everything on the ice.
The oddsmakers also see the home team as heavy favorites. So where's the value in this matchup?
If you think the Canadiens can keep it close, FanDuel has a nice +116 offering for Montreal +1.5. And if you think it'll be a low-scoring affair, consider the under of 5.5 at close to plus money.
Pick: Under 5.5 | Play to -115 |
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