Canadiens vs. Islanders Odds
| Team Odds | (+215) |
| Team Odds | (-270) |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (+100/-120) |
| Time | 2 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Atlantic Division's eighth-place Montreal Canadiens travel to New York to take on the Metropolitan Division's sixth-place Islanders. Sunday will be the second meeting between these two teams this season; the Isles won the first matchup, 6-2.
Will the Isles take care of business again, or can the Habs and their new head coach Martin St. Louis find a way to string together their second consecutive win?
Canadiens Look Better Under St. Louis
The Montreal Canadiens are coming off of their first win under St. Louis, beating the Blues 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night following a remarkable performance from Cole Caufield. Caufield tied the game up with just 10 seconds left in regulation and then buried the game-winner a few minutes into overtime.
Caufield, like many of the young Habs players, has really picked his game back up since the St. Louis hiring. With four goals in four games under St. Louis, Caufield seems to have regained the confidence that made him such an effective rookie last season.
Another storyline to follow in this game will be the NHL return for goaltender Andrew Hammond. You may remember Hammond from one of the most remarkable runs in NHL history in 2015 when the rookie goaltender led the Ottawa Senators from the gutter to clinching the second wild card spot by going 14-0-1 across 15 starts.
In Friday's press conference, Hammond discussed how hungry he is for an opportunity to be back in this league as he has not started a game since the 2017-18 season. This team has found a new spirit under St. Louis despite starting 1-3 under him, and now will have an extremely motivated goaltender in net trying to make a comeback.
Islanders Need to Avoid Letdown
The New York Islanders come into this contest following a massive 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. While the win was a big one for head coach Barry Trotz and his team, they need to be careful not to fall into a let-down spot.
The Isles were struggling before that win against Boston as they had dropped three straight games prior. While It is understandable that the Isles are big favorites tonight against the Canadiens, New York should not be laying more than two dollars to anyone in this league (even Montreal).
The Islanders lost both their last two games when laying such a steep price, and I believe It is entirely possible for them to get upset tonight against Montreal.
Canadiens vs. Islanders Pick
This is a value play, as the Islanders will win this matchup more often than not. However, the Canadiens are coming into this game in high spirits and playing with nothing to lose, and getting more than two dollars on the moneyline against a team as average as the Isles is too much value to pass up.
The Habs have fared well over the past few seasons against New York, winning six of the last eight meetings between these two teams.
Pick: Montreal Canadiens (+215) | Play down to (+200)
