Canucks vs Canadiens

Nick Suzuki’s Canadiens come home off a 0-4 loss in Detroit but still enter this one in far better shape than a Canucks team riding a six-game winless streak and fresh off back-to-back blowout road defeats in Detroit and Toronto. With Thatcher Demko now on injured reserve and multiple Vancouver forwards (including Conor Garland, Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger and Marco Rossi) sidelined, the Canucks are leaning on Kevin Lankinen and call-up Nikita Tolopilo behind a defense that is 30th in goals against per game and dead last on the penalty kill, while Montreal’s injuries are mostly lower in the lineup (Jake Evans on IR, Josh Anderson day-to-day). Montreal’s top-six, led by Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, has already torched Vancouver in recent meetings, including a 4-3 road win in October and a 5-4 OT comeback at the Bell Centre last season, and the Canadiens’ season scoring rate (top-10 in goals per game) contrasts sharply with Vancouver’s bottom-tier offense. With both clubs past the 41-game mark, Montreal is protecting a solid Atlantic playoff position while Vancouver sits last in the Pacific and trending toward seller territory, which adds motivation for the home side not to drop cheap points. At a listed price of -222 the Habs are heavily taxed and the value is marginal given they probably win this closer to the mid-60s percent of the time, so this is more of a “parlay piece” than a standalone slam-dunk, but the combination of form, injuries and matchup history still nudges me to Canadiens moneyline at a grade of B-. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/01/2026 09:33

Given how these rosters and recent trends line up, a total of 6 with the over at -118 looks attackable despite both teams being shut out in their last outing. Montreal is scoring 3.31 goals per game (7th in the league) but also allowing 3.20, while Vancouver combines a bottom-five offense (2.66 goals per game) with a leaky defense that’s surrendering 3.57 and owns the worst penalty kill in the NHL; that’s a recipe for high-event hockey when facing a Canadiens power play that now sits top-10 at 22.5 percent. The absence of Demko, plus center injuries down Vancouver’s middle, pushes more defensive-zone time onto a tired blue line and backup goaltending, and this same matchup has recently produced scorelines of 4-3, 5-4 and 4-2, with Montreal’s top line of Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovsky consistently generating multi-point nights against the Canucks. Even on the second half of a back-to-back, Montreal’s offensive ceiling at home against this penalty kill and Vancouver’s tendency to chase games once they fall behind make a 3-3 type script very realistic, with empty-net scenarios live late if one side is pressing for critical standings points. Because the number is a flat 6 instead of 6.5 there’s some push protection on a 4-2 or 3-3 regulation pattern, so I’d grade Over 6 at -118 as a B: solid but not elite value in a game where special teams and goaltending depth both tilt toward offense. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/01/2026 09:33

The puckline is where Vancouver’s current spiral and Montreal’s matchup advantages collide with a bit more volatility, making Canadiens -1.5 at +136 a higher-risk but still interesting way to play the home favorite. Vancouver has been outscored 18-4 over the first three games of this road trip, and their season profile is stark: when they allow four or more, they almost never salvage points, and their longest winless streak of the year (now six games) has featured multiple multi-goal defeats, including 5-1 in Detroit and 5-0 in Toronto. Montreal, meanwhile, has regularly stretched leads against the Canucks over the past two seasons, winning 4-2 in Vancouver last spring and 5-4 in OT and 4-3 in regulation in their last two meetings, driven by a top unit of Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovsky that has repeatedly punished Vancouver’s right side, plus puck-moving from Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson. With Demko and several Canucks regulars still out, Lankinen’s poor career numbers versus Montreal, and the Habs chasing Atlantic playoff seeding while Vancouver is buried in the Pacific, there’s a decent chance this turns into another game where the Canucks are forced to open up late and concede an insurance or empty-netter. That said, Montreal is on a back-to-back and their own defensive numbers are only middle of the pack, so laying the goal and a half gets a C+ from me: reasonable upside at plus money, but clearly thinner than the straight moneyline and more suited for bettors comfortable with extra variance. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/01/2026 09:33