The Montreal Canadiens will be looking to avoid opening their season with a sixth straight defeat when they take on the visiting Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night as -160 home favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Montreal’s early-season slide continued with a 4-1 loss to Carolina on Thursday night, which dumped the team’s record to 0-5-0 going into Saturday night’s matchup at the Bell Centre.
The Canadiens’ offence has struggled badly during the team’s disappointing start, scoring just four total goals through their first five outings. The Canadiens also received additional bad news this week, as defenseman Joel Edmundson left the team indefinitely to attend to an urgent family matter. That will do little to help a dismal Montreal penalty kill that has allowed eight of the 19 total goals scored against the team so far this season.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, open their first road trip of the season on Saturday as +135 underdogs at online betting sites. Detroit is coming off a 3-0 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night but has enjoyed a respectable 2-1-1 start, including decisive multi-goal victories over Columbus and Vancouver earlier this week. The Red Wings have also posted four straight victories over the Canadiens, including a pair of wins in Montreal while set as lengthy underdogs.
Earlier on Saturday afternoon, the Flames visit the Washington Capitals as +140 underdogs, while the Ottawa Senators host the Rangers as a +130 wager.
The Flames’ victory in Detroit marked their first win of the season, and a welcome turnaround for Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom. The veteran netminder struggled through the first two games of the season, surrendering seven total goals in losses to Edmonton and Anaheim, but turned aside 33 Red Wings shots to earn his first shutout of the season. Listed as -165 favourites for Saturday, the Capitals have won three of four to start the season with each of those victories coming by multiple goals.
The Senators are coming off a 2-1 loss to San Jose on Thursday night to fall to 2-2-0 on the season, with the UNDER prevailing on the totals in each of those games. The Rangers have been equally stingy, allowing just three total goals during their current 3-0-0 run, but have earned just one win in 10 trips to Ottawa since 2015.
Elsewhere on the Saturday NHL odds, the Winnipeg Jets host the Nashville Predators as -125 chalk. As well, the Toronto Maple Leafs visit Pittsburgh sporting -125 odds, while the Vancouver Canucks hit the ice in Seattle for the Kraken’s home opener as -105 underdogs.