NHL Online Betting – Thursday’s Puck Play
With ten online NHL wagering events on tap Thursday, there’s plenty of sports betting room to pick and choose. After looking over each game, one caught my eye worthy enough to invest in. Lurking is your winning information and selection. Provided a little luck we can earn our Thursday puck bucks with this great NHL betting matchup!
New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (7:00pm EST)
Last night, the Rangers (18-8-2) fought hard to rally from a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 SO victory over Pittsburgh in a physical game, meanwhile, Montreal (14-6-4) had the night off and will take the ice this evening well rested to face a team that may be leg weary and fatigued.
The Canadiens are coming off victories over Buffalo and Atlanta to win consecutive games for the first time since a three-game winning streak from October 28 to November 1. The Habs haven’t skated since Tuesday, when they allowed three unanswered goals in a 59-second span to tie the game at 3 apiece before a pair of goals lifted them to a 5-4 home victory over league-worst Atlanta as their second straight win.
The Canadiens are 4-1 in their last five games after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous contest. As well, Montreal is 4-1 in their last five versus teams with a winning percentage above .600, which clearly includes the Rangers winning percentage of 643.
Canadiens captain Saku Koivu has six goals and 27 assists in his last 29 matchups against New York. His play will be key as will net keeper’s Carey Price, who enters Thursday’s contest having won three straight starts including the first two on this franchise-record seven-game homestand. He is 6-1-2 with a 2.02 GAA in nine outings at the Bell Centre. Price has one appearance against the Rangers that came last season in February when he allowed three goals on 11 shots through the first 14 minutes before being pulled.
The Canadiens biggest challenge will be breaking through a wall named Henrik Lundqvist, who earned an NHL-best 16th win on Wednesday, making 29 saves through overtime and stopping one of two attempts in the shootout. He has a 2.17 GAA in 24 starts of 28 games this season. Lundqvist is 7-2-1 with a 2.46 GAA in 11 career starts versus the Montreal. New York is 7-3-1 as the visiting team this year and has won two straight and three of four on the road.
Montreal is solid at home with a 7-2-2 record which makes for a .636 winning percentage. That plays in favor of the Habs, because the Rangers are 33-73-6 in their last 112 road games versus a team with a home winning percentage of .600 or greater.
Fresh legs for the Canadiens should create enough shots on goal to break through Lundqvist’s stellar play to get the win, despite the Rangers being 8-3 in their last eleven games playing on 0 days rest. Home ice will also help the Habs, as the hosting team has won six of the last seven meetings in the series.
This is the first of four matchups between the Rangers and Montreal this season. New York has taken six of eight overall in the series, but the Habs have won two of three and three of the last five home matchups. BetUS NHL odds favors Montreal at -155 with a game total of 5½ under -140. If you bet on NHL and play totals, it’s worth noting the over has cashed in the last four straight meetings between the two played in Montreal.
