Canadiens vs Bruins: Prediction, Odds, Team News and Goalscorer Picks

Montréal hasn’t lost in regulation since 14 October, a run of 11 games. Boston has won four straight and allows 2.28 goals a game, second-fewest in the NHL.

Canadiens vs Bruins is the first meeting of the season, and it comes with Boston top of the Atlantic. The books have the Bruins as a slim home favourite.

How to watch in Canada

Not every game reaches every part of the country live. Our how to watch the NHL in Canada guide sorts out the regional rights for Habs fans outside Quebec.

Canadiens vs Bruins odds at Canadian sportsbooks

How the line has moved

Goalie matchup

Jacob Fowler has started 11 of Montréal’s 18 games and lost only once in regulation, with a .925. He went on Tuesday, so Jakub Dobes is the alternative. Jeremy Swayman has 13 of Boston’s starts at .920. Michael DiPietro is 4-1-0 in his five, which makes the Bruins’ choice less of a worry than usual.

Team news

Ivan Demidov is still on injured reserve and, per Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, still in a walking boot. Mike Matheson is day to day with a lower-body injury, and Sam Montembeault hasn’t played this season. Boston’s absence is James Hagens, out with a back injury. Michael Eyssimont came up from the AHL to fill in.

Absences for the other 30 clubs sit on our NHL injury report, refreshed every morning.

How they compare this season

Boston scores more and gives up less. The Bruins average 3.78 goals a game, sixth, against Montréal’s 3.44. The bigger gap is at the other end, where the Canadiens concede 3.06 a game and sit 12th.

Special teams

Neither power play has done much. Montréal’s is 30th at 14.8 per cent and Boston’s 24th, so this one probably gets settled at even strength. The two kills are almost identical, 15th and 17th.

Players to watch

Lane Hutson hasn’t scored in five games but has an assist in each of them. Cole Caufield scored the overtime winner in the last meeting. David Pastrnak has four assists in his last two. Elias Lindholm has goals in two of Boston’s last three.

Recent meetings

Montréal has won three of the last five, including March’s 3-2 overtime win at the Bell Centre. Boston took the last one in Boston, 4-3 in January. Across 951 games the Canadiens have 532 wins.

How the last meeting unfolded

Pavel Zacha scored twice for Boston in March, once on the power play. Nick Suzuki and Josh Anderson pulled Montréal level. Caufield won it 4:38 into overtime.

Where both clubs shoot from

Montréal had 76 shot attempts that night to Boston’s 53, and still needed overtime.

Results so far

Score prediction

Boston defends better and has the stronger attack on paper. Montréal keeps taking points late in games, though, and four of its last six have been settled by a single goal or in overtime, so expect this one to stay tight well into the third period. Bruins by one.

Canadiens vs Bruins prediction

The Bruins are 7-2-1 over ten, and both of their goalies are above .915. The market makes Boston about 53 per cent, so this is close.

The case against is Montréal’s 7-0-3 run, a stretch in which it has taken points from every game, and a goalie who has lost once in regulation all season. Hard to ignore.

Our pick: Boston to win. Canadiens 2–3 Bruins. What would change it: if Swayman doesn’t start and the Bruins turn to a third option, or if Matheson is cleared and Montréal dresses its full blue line.

See the NHL power rankings for where these two stand, and the NHL schedule for the rest of Thursday’s card. Caufield and Pastrnak shot lines, once posted, will be on the NHL player props page.

19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Picks are opinion, not advice, and odds change constantly. Availability varies by province. Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 for Ontario residents; see your province’s helpline for resources elsewhere.