Montreal @ SAN JOSE
Montreal +110 over SAN JOSE

NHL Handicapping contest is now open for anyone to join. Details are in the HOCKEY CONTEST SECTION ABOVE 

BEST LINES: Pinnacle +110 Bet365 +105 SportsInteraction +105 5DIMES +106

Posted at 1:30 PM EST 

10:30 PM EST. OT included. San Jose starts the year with five straight at home so this is the last game of said home stand. The Sharks are 1-3 to open the year and in very much the same boat as the Canadiens in that Montreal has just one win also but that’s the only similarities between the two teams. The Sharks have only one solid 60-minute effort in four games so they deserve to be 1-3 while the Canadiens are outplaying everyone they face without the results. The Sharks did not get younger in the off-season and they did not get better either. It’s extremely rare an NHL team goes an entire off-season without making a roster addition, either through a trade or signing a UFA. The Sharks lost Patrick Marleau, David Schlemko and Mirco Mueller with draft picks coming back but the only fresh face with impact talent is Kevin Labanc, who played 55 games last year for San Jose. In four games, San Jose has scored eight goals and three of those games were against the Islanders, Philadelphia and Buffalo, not exactly the cream of the crop on defense or in goal. The Sharks may end up being a live dog but we want no part of this team right now as the chalk because they look slower than most and appear to be a fringe playoff team at best. 

The Canadiens opened the year with a home win over Buffalo but to fans and media in that hotbed, that must seem like six weeks ago because the Habs haven’t won since. Four straight losses to the Rangers, Washington, Chicago and Toronto have the Habs sitting at 1-4 after five games, which provides us with the opportunity to buy low on them. Montreal has been dominating time of possession. They outshot the Leafs on Saturday night, 34-22 and lost 4-3 in OT. They outshot Chicago 42-25 and lost 3-1. They outshot the Rags 34-25 and lost 2-0. They outshot Washington 39-23 and lost 6-1. Overall, the Habs have held a league high percentage in time in the offensive end. They’ve also created more scoring chances than any team in the league. The Montreal Canadiens are playing great hockey without the results. The good news about that is the market and media puts a high emphasis on results and not performance. Carey Price comes into this start with a .885 save percentage so a major correction to the good is forthcoming. A correction to Montreal’s shooting percentage and power-play numbers are also forthcoming to the good. Montreal now gets away from the media hounds on the East Coast and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Habs have the ingredients to win, thus the positive returns will follow. Let’s hope it starts here.

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Our Pick

Montreal +110 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.20)

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Chicago +167 over Ottawa