Two of the NHL’s Original Six are set to go head to head on Wednesday as the Montreal Canadiens (8-2-2) host the Toronto Maple Leafs (10-2-1) at the Bell Centre. With both teams in top form, the stage is set for another classic battle.
It’s the second meeting of the season between the two after the Leafs won 5-4 in overtime on opening night. The over is now 6-1 in the last seven matchups between these two and bookmaker BetOnline has the over/under set at 6.5 for Wednesday’s clash. The moneyline is available at -105 for both teams.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 9th, 7:00 P.M. (EST)
After beating the Habs, Toronto went on to suffer a shock defeat by Ottawa and they dropped one against Edmonton as well soon after, but Sheldon Keefe’s team has played top-level hockey since then winning seven of eight games. Led by the league’s top goal-scorer Auston Matthews, the Leafs are producing 3.69 goals per night which is bettered only by Montreal, a team that has registered a 4.00 goals-for average for the season.
Defense has been an issue for the Leafs at times and No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen has been inconsistent with his play, but the high-octane offense has catapulted Toronto to the top spot in the league and they look like the team to beat in the North Division.
The Canadiens were poor last Thursday in a 3-2 loss to Ottawa, but they bounced back straight away with a 2-1 win in a rematch, and now look to keep up an immense historical record against Toronto. The Leafs’ opening night victory is their lone success in the past five meetings with Montreal with the Habs winning 11 of the last 14 home games against Toronto.
Montreal head coach Claude Julien only had the league’s 19th best offense at his disposal last season, but the additions of Josh Anderson and Tyler Toffoli has provided a big boost upfront with the two combining for 17 goals through the first 12 games.
The team has produced 48 total goals and boasts a plus-17 goal difference despite its special teams performing below average, which just goes to show how impressive the improvement from last year has been.
The hot offense was particularly important for Montreal in the very first few games of the season when Carey Price had a struggling start. The 2015 MVP has now won three of his last four starts to take his record for the year to 4-1-2. Meanwhile, Andersen will look to improve an 8-2-1 record.
