The NHL trade deadline came and went without Montreal or Toronto making any major moves, and given the way that both teams have performed as of late, it may be surprising that neither pushed the envelope. The two Original Six rivals clash at the Bell Centre on Saturday, and regardless of records, it is still an occasion when they meet up. Maple Leafs Canadiens Odds – Saturday, 7:00 PM ET
A 4-2 loss at home to Washington on Saturday was Toronto’s eighth in nine games, and BetOnline players would once again point to the defense and goaltending, which has now allowed four goals or more in six of those games. Colby Armstrong and Tim Connolly managed to get on the scoresheet as Toronto tried to make a late comeback, but two allowed goals in the first four minutes of the game sealed their fate. James Reimer made 32 saves for the Maple Leafs, and good pay head players know that it isn’t all his fault as his defense has left him out to dry on numerous occasions and if the Maple Leafs don’t get on track soon, they’ll be looking at another postseason-less campaign.
The Canadiens fell 4-2 at Florida for their fourth straight loss, and they are all but out of the playoff hunt as they sit in last place in the Eastern Conference; a 10-point difference may be too much to make up. David Desharnais and P.K. Subban scored early, but then the Canadiens allowed the last four goals of the game, while Peter Budaj stopped 28 shots for Montreal, who were outshot 32-20. If Montreal were a 2012 March Madness betting option, they would be playing the role of spoiler for teams looking to make it to the postseason, and it’ll be interesting to see what the Canadiens’ next step is.
Montreal should be the NHL betting favorites at home, where they are 2-3 SU in their last five meetings with the Maple Leafs, with three of those games going over the posted total. The Maple Leafs still have to host Florida on Tuesday before heading to Chicago on Wednesday, while the Canadiens wrap up their road trip in Tampa Bay on Tuesday before returning home to face Minnesota on Thursday, and they would love nothing better than to deal a critical blow to their rivals’ postseason chances. But you have to wonder how motivated this team truly is, and they haven’t scored enough goals as of late, posting four during this skid. The Maple Leafs need to take advantage of the Canadiens here, and they’ll get their third win in a row at the Bell Center with a gritty performance. Take Toronto in your Saturday sports betting online picks.
