The 2021-22 NHL season continues Wednesday, April 27, with five games scheduled including this Eastern Conference showdown at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, so we have prepared the best Canadiens vs. Rangers betting pick and odds.
Montréal and New York will be playing the third of their four-game series. The Rangers won each of the first two games this season, so it is not surprising that they enter as the presumptive favorite on BetMGM Sportsbook at -380. These teams have split the last 10 meetings between them.
Canadiens Fall at Home to Bruins
The Montréal Canadiens (20-49-11; 37-43 ATS) were crushed by the Boston Bruins at home on Sunday, 5-3. That was the ninth straight loss for this club, dropping them to 10-26-4 at home. They head to the road for this contest, where Montréal is 10-23-7. The Canadiens are in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Montréal trailed 4-1 before scoring two third period goals to pull within one, but could not find the equalizer in the 5-3 loss to the Bruins. Jeff Petry had two assists in the contest, giving him six points over his last five games. Scoring has been a major issue for the Canadiens the season, as they are 31st in the NHL at 2.55 goals per game.
That is not the only issue, however. Montréal is allowing 3.90 goals per contest, last in the NHL. The club is hoping that Sam Montembeault will eventually be their answer in goal, but he has not been so far, posting a 7-18-6 record with a 3.79 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage. Montembeault has allowed 17 total goals over his last three games.
Rangers Fall to Bruins
The New York Rangers (51-22-6; 41-38 ATS) lost to the Boston Bruins on Saturday, 3-1. That drop New York to 7-3-0 over their last 10 games, as they are firmly entrenched in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 108 points. The Rangers have been fantastic at home this season, going 26-9-4.
Igor Shesterkiin was solid in net for the Rangers, stopping 32 of 35 shots. However, his team produced just one goal for him in the loss. New York is a team that is built on defense, as they are second in the NHL in goals allowed per game at 2.46. They have been even more impressive at home, allowing 2.18 goals per game. Shesterkin has been arguably the best goaltender in the NHL, going 36-13-4 with a 2.07 GAA and a .935 save percentage.
The one goal scored against Boston was more of an aberration for this team. New York had 17 goals combined in their previous four contests, helping them to 3.05 goals per game, 16th overall. It has been a potent Rangers power-play that has been devastating to opponents, connecting on 26.2% of their opportunities, third overall.
Trends:
Montréal Canadiens:
- 22-50 in their last 72 games on the road.
- 6-22 in their last 28 games against teams with a winning record.
New York Rangers:
- 35-17 in their last 52 games at home.
- 45-22 in their last 67 games.
Montréal Canadiens vs. New York Rangers Pick
Talk about a battle of two teams heading in opposite directions. Not only does New York have a superior record, but statistically they are far better than Montréal. The Canadiens cannot score goals and are unable to stop opponents from doing so. The Rangers have been spectacular in both of those areas.
Montréal has played New York tough this season, as the Rangers earned a 3-1 victory in Montréal on October 16 and a 3-2 victory at home on November 16. However, that was months ago, and the Rangers are far better now while Montréal is in the tank.
Pick: Take New York Rangers at -380 at one of the best NY sports betting apps!
The Total:
With just two games left in the season and New York locked into second place in the division, one should expect that the team will be resting some of their key players. This may also be the case as they face Carolina on Tuesday, and will likely not want to put any of their veterans in danger by playing them in back-to-back nights.
That gives Montréal a chance to keep this game close. They are not going to put up big numbers, but the score should be lower than one would normally see. Look for about five goals to be scored in the contest.
Pick: Go under 6.0
