Free NHL Hockey Prediction: Jets vs. Canadiens NHL Odds
Looking for Winnipeg Jets vs. Montreal Canadiens free hockey plays & NHL Odds? NHL betting sees the Jets hosting the Canadiens to kick off the second round of the Stanley Cup Play-offs in Canada. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NHL Hockey games all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily NHL hockey predictions like this Jets Habs matchup.
NHL Handicapping Analysis
(30-23-3) (4-0) Winnipeg Jets vs. Montreal Canadiens (24-21-11) (4-3)
Date: Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021
Time: 7:30pm ET
Venue: Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg
NHL Hockey Moneyline Odds: Jets -130 Canadiens +110
NHL Hockey Puck Line Odds: Jets -1.5 +205 Canadiens +1.5 -245
NHL Betting Total: 5.5
Wednesday night will bring us game 1 between the two underdogs of the Scotia North division. Montreal is coming off of an excellent performance in game 7 against the Leafs on Monday, meanwhile the Jets will have been resting for the last week after completing a series sweep of the Oilers.
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets have had a week off from playing hockey and should be very well rested going into this second round match up against the Habs. I hope for their sake that they were not only studying the game tape assuming they’d be playing the Leafs.
By this point in the play-offs we should know that regular season records are not indicative of how a series will progress, but for what it’s worth the Jets were 6-3 against the Habs in their nine play-off meetings. It is important to note however, that three of those six wins went to 3-on-3 overtime, which the Habs struggled with all season, and importantly, does not exist in the play-offs.
To succeed against the Habs, the Jets will need to continue to get scoring out of their top 6 forwards. The Habs were able to completely shut down Matthews and Marner in their last series, but we will have to see how they do against the second line scoring of the Jets such as Ehlers and Stastny.
Additionally, this Jets team has something the Leafs did not have. Play-off success from their star players. This Jets forward core has been together a long time and made it out of the second round in 2018 in a highly competitive series against Nashville. They’ve been here before, and they know what it takes to win.
One key component for success that the Jets will be looking to improve upon is special teams. They will need to be more disciplined in this series, especially when they are already shorthanded. The Oilers had three 5-on-3 opportunities in the first round, and the Jets were lucky to escape them relatively unscathed. They will also look to continue their success on the powerplay. Jets fans will remember how good Joel Armia was for this team on the PK, and he has continued to be one of the most underrated penalty killers in the league for the Canadiens.
The Jets should be confident in their depth and in their stars after sweeping the Oilers, but Montreal is a tough team that has demonstrated their will to win. Game 1 will set the tone for the series. We’ll see how it goes.
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are firing on all cylinders, especially veteran goaltender Carey Price. Price has a .932 save percentage coming out of the first round, which is excellent, but it is still second best in this series thanks to Connor Hellebuyck’s ridiculous .950. The Habs will need to solve Hellebuyck quickly, because averaging 2 goals a game in the play-offs will most likely not be enough against the talent of the Jets’ forwards.
One advantage the Habs will have in this series is their ability to get scoring from all four lines. Armia, Kotkaniemi, and Toffoli have all scored big goals for the team, and they all play on different lines. This may disrupt the game plan that the Jets implemented against the Oilers, where Lowry, Copp and Appleton played against the opposing team’s best players to neutralize their offense.
Despite the Canadiens not having won in the second round since 2014, they do have a good amount of play-off experience. First of all, Price and Gallagher were on that 2014 roster, and they also have play-off veterans in Weber, Perry, and Staal, who combine for over 300 play-off games
This Habs team is out performing all expectations set for them going into these play-offs, and Carey Price seems to be absolutely dialed in. We’ll see if they can maintain their level of play against the Jets. Whatever the outcome, this should be a fun series
NHL Betting Trends
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal’s last 5 games.
- Montreal are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games.
- Montreal are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games against Winnipeg.
- Winnipeg are 6-0 SU in their last 6 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Winnipeg’s last 7 games against Montreal.
- Winnipeg are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home.
Free Winnipeg Jets vs Montreal Canadiens NHL Prediction:
The Jets are already the slight favourite going into this game, but I still think that the Habs are getting too much credit for coming back against the Leafs. At no point in game 7 was I blown away by the Habs defense, or even Carey Price. He was good, don’t get me wrong, but the Leafs just did not look threatening. I think Winnipeg will continue their play-off success, and I don’t anticipate game 1 being close. I’m picking the Jets on the Puckline.
4* Free NHL Betting Pick: Puckline -1.5 +205
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