BEST LINES: Pinnacle -½ +110  SportsInteraction -½ +100 5DIMES -½ +108

Posted at 1:30 PM EST.

7:05 PM EST. Regulation only. The Canadiens have dropped two straight at home to Calgary and St. Louis but there is no shame in losing a one-goal game and an OT game to that pair. Montreal could’ve easily won both games too. The Habs will take the ice tonight healthier than they’ve been all year and it comes at a good time. The Habs will roll out three capable scoring lines and a decent fourth line too. They also have Carey Price, which gives Montreal a big edge long before the puck drops. The Habs have had some great stretches lately where they dominate puck possession and generate shots from dangerous areas seemingly at will over their past seven games. Coming off two losses and playing the Oilers on Hockey Night in Canada, it’s very unlikely that Montreal will lack motivation here.

Presently, backup Laurent Brossoit is getting the starts with Cam Talbot on the shelf with an upper-body injury but he has not fared well, posting a save percentage of just .871 in his first three appearances as the interim starter. Edmonton is constantly playing from behind. That’s tiring and so is losing. Edmonton continues its downward spiral in the advanced metrics. They were a top-five possession team in the first month of the year but over the last month, the Oilers rank 17th in Corsi For % during five-on-five play. It’s not just that though. Edmonton often lacks scoring, combativeness and confidence. Coming off a 7-5 win over Calgary and almost blowing a 6-1 lead, Edmonton subsequently played Philadelphia at Rexall and lost 4-2. It could also be a case of Coach Todd McLellan losing the locker room. McLellan has had issues with Connor McDavid and he’s thrown others under the bus too. The trade that sent Jordan Eberle to New Jersey for Ryan Strome is turning into another Oilers nightmare. Eberle is off to a strong start while Strome hasn’t fared anywhere near as well, collecting only 11 points. McLellan has moved Strome all over the place and he could be out of the lineup entirely tonight, as he was in a rotation of wingers in practice on Friday, which isn’t too ideal for someone who has been deployed as a center for the majority of the season. The point is that the Oilers are a mess. They’re eight points out of a playoff spot right and with so much negative things going on, it all adds to Edmonton being one of the more beatable teams in the league right now.

Open an account today at Pinnacle Sports and take advantage of their -104 style pricing on sides and totals, which is 60% better than other sportsbooks