Dallas Stars vs Montréal Canadiens January 16th 2025

The Canadiens and Stars are set to face off at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The Stars will host the game at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 5.5 goals, with the Stars being the favored by -1.5 goals against the Canadiens.

Montreal vs. Dallas Key Information

• Teams: Canadiens at Stars
• Where: American Airlines Center Dallas
• Date: Thursday, January 16th
• Betting Odds DAL -236 | MON +196 O/U 5.5

The Canadiens Can Win If…

Montreal’s 3-1 loss to the Penguins dropped their record to 21-18-4. The Canadiens, who were underdogs on the puck line, failed to cover. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the teams combined for just 4.

All of Pittsburgh’s goals came before Montreal got on the board, with the Canadiens’ lone goal coming at 14:28 in the third period. The Penguins sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 19:15 in the final period.

Montreal’s offense struggled in their 3-1 loss to the Penguins, managing just one goal, which came 5:32 into the third period. Christian Dvorak found the net for the first time this season, while Emil Heineman picked up his first assist and Juraj Slafkovsky added his seventh.

The Canadiens fired 26 shots on goal but were held scoreless through the first two periods. They also recorded 20 giveaways in the game.

Defensively, the Canadiens will look to improve after giving up the first two goals in their previous game. The first came at 15:57 in the first period, and the second was a power-play goal at 18:40 in the second. After cutting the deficit to 2-1, they allowed an empty-netter with just 45 seconds left in the third. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

• Through their last three games, the Canadiens have a record of 2-1. In terms of betting, the team went 3-0 puck line in these matchups. Their over/under record in these matchups is 1-2.
• Across Montreal’s last ten regular season games, their record sits at 7-3. This includes going 9-1 vs. the puck line along with an over-under mark of 4-5-1.

The Stars Can Win If…

Dallas dropped to 28-14-1 with a 4-2 loss to the Panthers. The Stars trailed 2-0 before rallying to tie it, but Florida pulled ahead in the third period. Dallas entered as underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, with the combined 6 falling just short.

Evgenii Dadonov got the Stars on the board in the second period, and Matt Duchene added another to tie it up. However, the Panthers scored twice more, including an empty-netter, to seal the win.

Dallas took 25 shots on goal in their 4-2 loss to the Panthers, but only found the net twice. Evgenii Dadonov scored his second goal of the season on a power play, while Matt Duchene added his seventh goal. Duchene also picked up his eighth assist on Dadonov’s goal.

The Stars were held scoreless in the first period before scoring twice in the second. They ended the game with 32 giveaways.

Defensively, the Stars gave up the first two goals of the game, followed by two more from the Panthers in the 3rd period. The last was an empty-netter with 1:00 remaining. Casey DeSmith made 21 saves but finished with a save percentage of 87.5%.

• Dallas will look to keep things rolling as they have put together a mark of 2-1 over their past three games. However, they have only gone 1-2 vs. the puck line over this stretch. Their over-under record in these three games was 0-3.
• Across Dallas’s last ten regular season games, their record sits at 8-2. This includes going 5-5 vs. the puck line along with an over-under mark of 1-6-3.

The Lean

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Canadiens to defeat the Stars while playing on the road. Given the current moneyline odds at +196, I’m placing a wager on the Canadiens to win outright.

Our projections have the Canadiens pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Canadiens, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 5.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

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Canadiens and Stars Set for Another Intense Showdown in Dallas

Get ready for round two as the Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars face off again Thursday night in Dallas. These two red-hot teams battled to a shootout just five days ago, with the Stars sneaking away with a 2-1 win. Now, the Canadiens are looking for payback, and the stage is set for another thrilling matchup.

Two Teams on a Roll

1. Dallas Stars:
   • The Stars have been on fire, winning 8 of their last 9 games and holding an impressive 16-5-1 record at home. They bounced back from a tough loss to Ottawa with a statement 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
   • Their special teams are clicking. The penalty kill has been lights-out (35-for-38 over the last 17 games), and their power play is heating up with 5 goals in the last 5 games.
2. Montreal Canadiens:
   • The Canadiens are riding a 10-2-1 streak and haven’t lost in regulation in their last five games (4-0-1). After the narrow shootout loss to Dallas, they bounced back with a 5-3 win over the Utah Hockey Club.
   • Montreal has been road warriors lately, going 7-2-0 in their last nine away games.

Players to Watch

1. Montreal Canadiens:
   • Nick Suzuki: The captain is leading the charge with 43 points this season (13 goals, 30 assists). He’s the engine of Montreal’s offense.
   • Lane Hutson: The rookie defenseman is making waves, hitting 30 assists faster than almost any rookie in Canadiens history. He’s on a five-game point streak with 9 points in that span.
   • Sam Montembeault: Montembeault was a brick wall in the last game against Dallas, stopping 35 of 36 shots. Expect him to be a big factor again.
2. Dallas Stars:
   • Matt Duchene: The Stars’ leading scorer (41 points) is in top form, racking up a goal and two assists against Toronto.
   • Logan Stankoven: Stankoven has been clutch, scoring a big goal to spark Dallas’ offense in their last game.
   • Jake Oettinger: Oettinger outdueled Montembeault in the shootout last time around, stopping 30 shots and all three shootout attempts.

What Each Team Needs to Do

1. Montreal Needs to Stay Out of the Box:
   • The Canadiens have been taking way too many penalties, which has disrupted their flow and put unnecessary pressure on their penalty kill. Against Dallas’ improving power play, they can’t afford to make the same mistakes.
2. Dallas Needs to Start Fast:
   • The Stars have weathered some slow starts lately, but maintaining early momentum will be key—especially with Roope Hintz questionable due to an upper-body injury.
3. Another Goaltending Duel:
   • The last game featured a battle of the netminders, and it could happen again. Both Montembeault and Oettinger have been in great form, so scoring might come at a premium.

What to Expect

This game has everything: two in-form teams, elite goaltending, and plenty of star power. The Stars have the edge at home and in head-to-head history (8-2-1 against Montreal since 2018), but the Canadiens are playing with confidence and have shown they can handle tough road environments.