NHL: New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction, Odds & Best Bets || January 6, 2024

Tonight, we have the New York Rangers (26-10-1) visit the Montreal Canadiens (16-17-5) facing off for the 1st time this year. The Rangers are the best team in the East while the Hab are struggling to stay above .500.

New York has been flying so far this year, sitting 1st in the Metro Division. They come into this game 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and a road record of 13-5-1. The Rangers seem to play well wherever they are, as they have the same record home and away.

Balanced, two-way style hockey is what wins games and New York has performed well on both sides of the ice. They rank in the top 10 in the league for goals forced and shooting percentage per game. Only ranking 15th in the league for shots on goal forced, they make their shots count.

Power plays are deadly from the Rangers. They lead the league converting 30.4% of the time while also winning 54.2% of their faceoffs. It's safe to say New York has found a groove on offense.

For the defensive side, the Rags rank in the top 10 in 3 main categories. They're tied for 6th for least goals allowed per game (2.73), 10th in shots on goal allowed (29.6) and are 7th on the penalty kill.

Backup goaltender Jonathan Quick is set to be between the pipes tonight. He has a 9-2-1 record with a 2.41 GAA and .916 save percentage. He also has 2 shutouts under his belt so far this season.

On the other side of the ice, Montreal isn't having as good of a year. They sit 6th in the Atlantic Division and come into this game 4-4-2 in their last 10 games.

The Habs haven't played the best at home either, with a 7-10-2 record. They have shown just an under whelming performance so far this year on both sides of the ice. The lopsidedness of this game is really going to cause the Habs to play their best hockey if they intend on winning.

On offense, they are only putting up 2.74 goals and 28.6 shots on goal per game, ranking in the bottom of the league for both. On offense, they only match up with New York for faceoff wins.

As for defense, they have been terrible allowing almost 3.5 goals and 33 shots on goal per game. They rank 2nd to last in the league for penalty kill at 72% and 20th in the league for penalty minutes.

Sam Montembeault is confirmed in net for tonight's game. His record is 8-5-3 so far this season with a 2.94 GAA and .903 save percentage. He will have his work cut out for him vs this Rangers offense.

Betting Odds

Puck Line

• New York Rangers -1.5 (+114)
• Montreal Canadiens +1.5 (-137)

Moneyline

• New York Rangers -210
• Montreal Canadiens +172

Totals

• Over 6.5 (+106)
• Under 6.5 (-130)

Odds courtesy of MyBookie

Game Information

• Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
• Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024
• Puck Drop: 7pm EST
• TV: MSG 2, NHL Network

New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction and Picks

Prediction and Pick: New York Rangers Puck Line -1.5 (+114) MyBookie

To some, it may seem crazy and to others, it definitely does not. This should be a great spot for the Rangers to keep it rolling vs an easy opponent.

Quick has a long history vs the Canadiens dating back to 2010. Since 2014 he has a 7-2-0 record with a 1.90 GAA and .934 save percentage. He is 2-1 in his last 3 start at the Bell Centre.

The Canadiens will have to stay out of the penalty box to even have a chance in this game. Any power play chances for the Rangers will likely be converted, so they will need to play disciplined.

Give me the puck line, I'm not scared at all. Rangers get the job done tonight easily and continue to roll. Power play opportunities as well as good goaltending is what will make this an easy win for New York. Igor is yet to have a shutout this year…just something to think about!

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