Boston vs. Montreal: NHL Match Prediction
On December 1, the NHL championship will feature a match between Boston and Montreal. The Tricolors are understandably considered the underdogs in this matchup, although they have often earned points in previous matches. The Bruins are not known for their consistency and alternate victories with defeats, but in their last face-to-face meetings with the Canadians, they have consistently achieved success and remained with two points. Is it worth betting on their victory this time? You will find out from our forecast

Command Analysis

Boston Bruins

Current form
Boston temporarily found itself outside the playoff zone again and currently occupies the ninth line in the East. Of course, the team can return to the top eight at any moment, but it is unlikely to gain a foothold there with such results. Note that previously, at best, they either alternated victories with losses, or achieved two victories in a row, after which they inevitably lost. After the resignation of the head coach, things did not become globally better for them. Thus, earlier they dealt with Detroit on the road (2:1), lost at home to Vancouver (0:2), and after an away victory over the Islanders (6:3), they again lost to Pittsburgh with a score of 1:2 in front of their fans. In most cases, the "bears" have serious problems with creating and implementing moments, which is why they usually end up with a minimum number of goals scored. Joe Sacco team devotes a lot of time to defense, but it does not bring significant results. It is also not surprising that the club still remains in the penultimate position in the game in 5x4 and 5x3 formats and has only 12% of the extra man implementation. Brad Marchand, who should be at least the second leading scorer after David Pastrnak, constantly sorts things out with his opponents instead of scoring goals. Of course, in the match with the "islanders" the Canadian scored twice, but in the fundamental meeting with the "pens" he was again left out.
Disqualifications and injuries
Lindholm will not take part in the match due to injury.
Interesting trends for betting
- Boston averages 10.6 penalty minutes
The Bruins continue to show mediocre scoring and average at least five penalties
- Boston has a 78% power play neutralization rate
The Bears are ranked 21st in the league in this indicator.

Montreal Canadiens

Current form
Montreal is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and currently has 19 points. The team is only two points behind Pittsburgh, so it cannot be called the main outsider. Plus, it has shown its best side recently and often fought back its opponents. In three out of five games, the Canadians celebrated success. However, after a successful match against Edmonton (3:0), they could not cope with Vegas (2:6) and Utah (2:3 OT), but in the final away match with Columbus, they again won with a score of 4:3 in overtime. Note that many games involving the "tricolors" are spectacular and feature a large number of goals scored, as they themselves are accustomed to this type of hockey and try to play on counterattacks. Incidentally, thanks to his goal in the last game, Nick Suzuki reached the 20-point mark in the goal+pass system, and he still remains the club top scorer. It is also worth noting that Martin Saint-Louis team, despite its underdog status, shows a decent game in the majority and currently has a 22.2% power play rate, which is a good indicator. However, Montreal does not always play at a high level in the starting game period, as it currently has 15:23 in goals scored and goals conceded.
Disqualifications and injuries Price, Weidman, Laine and Matheson will not play in the upcoming fight due to injury
Interesting trends for betting
- On average, Montreal concedes 4.2 goals per game on the road.
The Tricolors have been playing poorly in defense throughout the season
- Statistically, Canadians receive 10.5 minutes of penalty time.
The team is usually sent off at least five times per match
Trends
Bet 1st period: total under 1.5 goals
In three of Boston previous five games, the first period was not productive.
1.93Bet 3rd period: Montreal will score
Montreal has scored in the third period in three of its four road games.
1.65Tip and bets
We think that Montreal should not be underestimated in this matchup. The Canadians have not looked so bad lately and have often earned points. They were even able to almost pull out the previous match against the Rangers and lost literally in the final minute of the third period. The Bruins earn points with great effort. As a rule, the Bears achieve success with a difference of one puck or outside of regulation time. The Canadians, in turn, have managed without major defeats in four out of five matches. Considering the instability of the home team, we suggest betting on the handicap of the formal underdog. Prediction - Montreal win with Asian handicap (+1.5) on goals for 1.75
Bet on individual total In previous games, Sacco men have shown mediocre performance and often couldn't break down the opponent defense more than once or twice. The Bruins continue to have problems converting chances and play poorly in the majority, so even against obvious underdogs they rarely score four times. In addition, Montreal itself has conceded fewer than four goals in four out of six games. It hard to believe that Boston is capable of scoring a lot in this form. We bet on Boston individual total under 3.5 goals for 1.75
Total Bet Many previous meetings with the "bears" were "low-scoring" and took place with a minimum number of goals scored. The team itself demonstrates low efficiency, but at the same time, it also misses very few goals in response. In the upcoming confrontation, the hosts will also adhere to a similar game plan and will not change anything or take unnecessary risks. It will also be very difficult for Montreal to distinguish itself against such a style of play. Based on this, we take the total under. We bet on a total of less than 6.5 goals with a coefficient of 1.50