After securing a shock trip to last season’s Stanley Cup Final, the Montreal Canadiens are struggling to recreate last spring’s magic to begin this season.
The Habs are 0-3 at the moment, struggling to find offense and keep the puck out of their net. Of course, this is a depleted and heavily changed unit from last post-season, but much of the core remains intact. Following a tight loss in their home opener vs. New York on Saturday night, the Canadiens will look for their first points of the season at home vs. a San Jose side that isn’t supposed to be that great this year.
Meanwhile the Sharks enter Tuesday evening’s encounter eager for an improvement over last year’s dismal campaign. Though much of the drama surrounding this club has centred around the suspended status of star player Evander Kane, the Sharks still boast a good, young core, and one that could surprise. They began their season with an impressive victory over WInnipeg on Saturday night, before heading up north to Canada for the next week.
With pressure mounting already in Montreal, you better believe some of the young Habs’ talent might just be squeezing their sticks a little bit at the moment. Though they may possess a talent advantage vs. San Jose, the rested Sharks are a young and hungry club that can frustrate. For added insight, team news, and betting data – continue reading on beneath the posted odds for our betting prediction on Montreal vs. San Jose for Tuesday evening NHL action.
Some changes to the Canadiens PP today
PP1
Toffoli
Drouin-Dvorak-Hoffman
PetryPP2
Gallagher
Caufield-Anderson-Suzuki
Wideman— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) October 18, 2021
San Jose Sharks vs. Montreal Canadiens Live Odds & Betting History
*These odds are provided by BetOnline.ag
| TEAM DATA | SHARKS | CANADIENS |
| Overall Record | 1-0-0 | 0-3-0 |
| ATS Record | 2-3-0 | 2-3-0 |
| Home/Away Record | 0-0-0 | 0-1-0 |
| Goals Per Game | 4.0 | 1.0 |
| Goals Against Per Game | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Expected Goals For % | 63.6% | 43.9% |
| Corsi For % | 48.6% | 48.1% |
San Jose Sharks vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction
While Jake Allen recently missed Habs’ practice on Monday, all indications point to him getting back between the pipes on Tuesday night. He’s been very solid through two outings, but will require some help from the offense.
Some revamped lines and powerplay units should help Montreal find the back of the net with more regularity. The Tyler Toffoli, Cole Caufield, and Nick Suzuki line carried Montreal last post-season, and definitely has the ability to put the puck in the net when firing on all cylinders.
With last change at home, expect the Habs’ depth to take over. They possess three strong scoring lines, and should overwhelm a Sharks’ roster that thins out quite quickly. On the back-end, the Sharks possess an offensive-minded and aging back-line, and one that will likely struggle going against the speedy forwards of the Canadiens.
The Habs should be able to find their identity on Tuesday night. Though it’s early and a long regular season, in a tough Atlantic division the Habs know they need to start accumulating points if they want to keep pace. Look for them to put an emphasis on getting pucks behind San Jose’s defensive group, and really working that unit in their zone and on the cycle. Getting sniper Mike Hoffman back from injury should also enhance their offense.
San Jose is also highly questionable between the pipes, as Adin Hill has struggled in limited NHL action, and the jury remains very much out on his ability. Look for Montreal to control the key shooting metrics, and they should eventually find their offense in a crucial encounter.
Mike Hoffman answering questions now from media. Says he expects to make #Habs debut tomorrow night vs Sharks after recovering from lower-body injury #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/dcj5EAthG2
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) October 18, 2021
Canadiens vs. Sharks Trends To Know:
- San Jose are 4-14 SU in their last 18 games.
- San Jose are 0-6 SU in their last 6 games on the road.
- Montreal are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games at home.
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal’s last 6 games against an opponent in the Western Conference conference.
Though the Sharks took advantage of a rowdy home opener vs. Winnipeg, the atmosphere will be firmly against them on Tuesday night as the rabid fans at the Bell Centre cheer on their Habs. Montreal needs this win, and with reinforcements and lineup switches coming, a rejuvenated squad should be able to find their offense against a team with inconsistent defense and goaltending. Look for Montreal’s stars to lead the way, en route to their first win of the season.
