The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens re-ignite their rivalry on Hockey Night in Canada.
The pregame narrative: This is uncharted territory for both teams. For the first time in a long time, Montreal is legitimately threatening for a playoff spot. Toronto, meanwhile, is leading the Atlantic Division. I’m taking the Maple Leafs to win and am backing Auston Matthews to score.
Check out my Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens predictions for Jan. 18.
Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens predictions
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Best Bet: Maple Leafs moneyline (-143)
I have to give Montreal its flowers before explaining why I’m backing Toronto.
Martin St. Louis’ squad has won eight of its last 10 games, beating teams like the Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, and Dallas Stars.
During this stretch, it’s given up just 2.0 goals per game.
However, this is a matchup Toronto has dominated recently. The Leafs have won six of their last seven games against the Canadiens, with the only outlier being a 1-0 loss on opening night this season.
In that game, Sam Montembeault turned away 48 shots in a career performance.
It’s unclear who will start in goal for Montreal tonight with a back-to-back against the New York Rangers on deck tomorrow.
I believe it will be Montembeault since rookie Jakub Dobes played on Thursday night. Dobes has been spectacular while Montembeault owns an .888 SV% this month. Still, it’s something to keep an eye on.
Either way, Toronto has been one of the best teams in the NHL this season. I trust its large body of work over Montreal’s recent form.
Key stat: The Maple Leafs are 28-16-2 and have won five of their last six road games.
Quick picks
Matthews to score (-120): We might never know what’s been wrong with Matthews this season. But what I do know is he’s been firing on all cylinders since returning to the lineup on Jan. 4.
- 6 G, 5 A in 7 GP
- Scored in 5/7 games
Toronto’s captain is coming off a heroic two-goal performance against the New Jersey Devils, scoring a pair of game-tying goals to force overtime.
Matthews had over 21 minutes of ice time and fired five shots on goal, which is an encouraging sign based on his previous injury history.
Assuming he’s fully healthy — which to some may be a leap — we’re getting a guy who scored 69 goals last season at a fair price.
Matthews is on a 58-goal pace this month, so I’m willing to make that leap.
NHL picks made at 10:16 a.m. ET on 01/18/25.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.