Montreal Canadiens vs Ny Rangers Picks and Predictions October 22nd 2024

Planning on watching today’s Rangers and Canadiens game? Catch the action at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC, as the Canadiens hosts this showdown at 7:15 ET on ESPN+. The Rangers are favored by -1.5 in a Eastern conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 6 goals.

New York vs. Montreal Key Information

• Teams: Rangers at Canadiens
• Where: Bell Centre Montreal
• Date: Tuesday, October 22nd
• Betting Odds NYR -215 | MON +179 O/U 6

The Rangers Can Win If…

With a 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs, the Rangers improved to 4-0-1 this season. New York covered the puck line as underdogs, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 5 fell short of that mark.

Three different players scored for the Rangers, with Chris Kreider leading the way with two goals. Both of New York’s last two goals came with the Maple Leafs’ net empty.

Chris Kreider netted his 4th and 5th goals of the season, with his second coming on an empty net. Alexis Lafrenière opened the scoring for the Rangers, bringing his season total to 3 goals. Artemi Panarin added his 6th goal, also on an empty net.

The Rangers fired 29 shots on goal and recorded 9 giveaways. They scored once in the first period, added another in the second, and finished with two empty-netters in the final minute of the game.

On defense, the Rangers will look to carry over their strong performance from their previous game, where they allowed just one goal to the Maple Leafs. Igor Shesterkin made 34 saves with a 97.1% save percentage, and the defense contributed 11 takeaways, 22 blocks, and 19 hits.

• Spanning across their last three games, New York have gone 3-0. Their strong play has also resulted in an puck line mark of 3-0 (last 3). They had an over/under mark of 1-2 in those same games.
• Over their last ten regular season games, the Rangers have gone 6-4 straight up. Their record vs the puck line sits at 9-1 in these matchups, while posting a 3-6-1 over-under mark.

The Canadiens Can Win If…

Montreal’s 4-3 loss to the Islanders dropped them to 2-3-1 on the season. The Canadiens were underdogs on the puck line, and the total for the game was set at 6 goals. The combined 7 goals went over the total.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, Cole Caufield got the Canadiens on the board with just 4 seconds left in the period. Caufield led the team with two goals in the game.

Cole Caufield was the standout for the Canadiens, netting two goals, including his 7th of the season. He scored on two of his three shots on goal, with his first coming just before the end of the 1st period and his second tying the game at 3-3 in the 3rd. Logan Mailloux added his first goal of the season.

Juraj Slafkovsky picked up two assists, bringing his total to 6 for the season. The Canadiens took 24 shots on goal and scored once on the power play. They had 16 giveaways in the game.

Montreal’s defense struggled early, conceding the first two goals at 5:28 and 16:58 in the opening period. After tying the game 3-3, they gave up another goal at 15:24 in the third. In the shootout, they allowed three goals. Cayden Primeau made 33 saves with a 91.7% save percentage, while the defense recorded 5 takeaways and 30 hits.

• Through their last three regular season contests, Montreal has a record of 0-3. Across these games, their puck line record was just 1-2, while posting an over-under record of 2-1.
• Through their last ten regular season contests, Montreal has a record of 2-8. Across these games, their puck line record was just 7-3, while posting an over-under record of 6-4.

The Lean

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Canadiens to defeat the Rangers while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at +179, 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.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

Rangers Try to Keep Rare Road Form Going at Canadiens

The New York Rangers are off to a blazing start this season, thanks largely to their dominant play on the road. With an opportunity to open their season with four consecutive road victories for the first time in more than 90 years, the Rangers will visit the struggling Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

The Rangers are currently 4-0-1, their best start since the 2008-09 season when they went 5-0-0. Their road success has been particularly impressive, as they are 3-0-0 away from home for the first time since winning four straight road games to open the 1931-32 season.

The Rangers’ latest road triumph came on Saturday, a 4-1 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs, marking their third straight road win in which they’ve outscored opponents 15-3. The Rangers are making steady improvements with each game, as forward Reilly Smith noted: “Every game we’re taking steps in the right direction. Next game is another challenge, but we’ll try to get better every game.”

One of the Rangers’ offensive leaders, Artemi Panarin, has been in exceptional form, scoring four of his six goals in the past two games. Panarin has been especially lethal against Montreal, with three goals and 15 assists during a nine-game point streak versus the Canadiens. Mika Zibanejad has also excelled against Montreal, notching three goals and three assists in his last two meetings with them.

Montreal Canadiens Struggling to Find Form

The Canadiens have been up and down early in the season, with two victories where they’ve allowed just one goal, but four losses in which they’ve been outscored 20-7. Montreal is currently on a 0-2-1 skid, including a 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday. Over this stretch, they’ve been outscored 14-7.

A bright spot for Montreal has been budding star Cole Caufield, who is among the league leaders with six goals in six games. Caufield delivered another two-goal performance on Saturday, marking his second of the season. He has four goals and two assists in his last four games against the Rangers.

However, Montreal’s defense, particularly during 5-on-5 play, has been an issue. The Canadiens have allowed 20 non-shootout goals, with 18 of those coming at even strength. Despite this, their penalty kill has been strong, as their opponents have only converted 2-for-22 on the power play.

Goaltending Matchup

Montreal’s Sam Montembeault allowed only one goal total in his first two starts of the season, but has given up eight goals in his last two outings. Fellow goaltender Cayden Primeau has also struggled, allowing nine goals on 65 shots across his two starts.

On the other side, Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin has been solid, stopping 116 of the 124 shots he’s faced while going 3-0-1, including one shutout. Rangers backup Jonathan Quick could also be an option, coming off a 29-save performance in a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings last Thursday.

Key Matchups

Rangers’ Offensive Depth vs. Canadiens’ Defense

With Panarin, Zibanejad, and the rest of New York’s offense firing on all cylinders, the Canadiens’ defense will need to be much sharper if they hope to stop the Rangers’ potent attack.

Cole Caufield vs. Igor Shesterkin

Caufield has been a goal-scoring machine early this season, and he’ll face a tough test in Shesterkin, who has been stingy in net for New York.

Montreal’s 5-on-5 Defense vs. Rangers’ Speed

The Canadiens have struggled defensively at even strength, and the Rangers’ ability to capitalize on quick rushes could make the difference in this game.

Game Outlook

The Rangers are riding a wave of confidence and have been particularly dominant on the road. The Canadiens, meanwhile, are searching for answers on defense and consistency. If Montreal can’t tighten up defensively, they could struggle to keep up with New York’s depth and scoring ability.

Prediction

The Rangers are clicking on all fronts, and with Shesterkin in goal, they’ll be tough to beat. Expect New York to extend their road win streak.

Rangers 4, Canadiens 2