Expect Close Call on Coyotes vs Canadiens NHL Lines

Teams who come storming out of the gate to start the season often find themselves hitting a wall after a month or two, as they realize that the pace they are setting simply isn’t sustainable. This is particularly true in the 82-game grind that is the NHL, and there are some signs that Montreal might be about to impact said wall. They will hope to steer clear of the crash when they welcome in the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night, with the home team favored on NHL lines to take the match.

NHL Lines and Game Preview: Coyotes vs Canadiens

Date: Thursday, November 19, 2015 Time: 7:30PM Venue: Bell Centre Opening Line: Montreal -190

Who were the @ArizonaCoyotes‘ favorite hockey players growing up? We got some great answers! https://t.co/KbRHlKklYl

— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) November 18, 2015

The Canadiens (14-3-2) started the season by winning 9 straight games, thanks in large part to a powerful offence and the heroics of Carey Price in net. The 5-3-2 record that they have put together since then is not particularly bad, but it is pretty far removed from what they were doing at the start of the season. It would be easy to blame the recent results on the absence of Carey Price who has been out injured for the past 2 weeks, but that would be unfair to Mike Condon, who has been very good in relief. The fact of the matter is that every team goes through these sorts of lulls during a long season, and it does seem a little odd to be asking what is wrong with the Canadiens when they are 2 games over .500 in the last 10 and still tied for the best record in the NHL. It will be interesting to see how this team responds when Price returns, which by all accounts may be in the next few days or so. For now, Montreal will try to build on the gutsy 4-3 OT win over Vancouver on Monday night. The Arizona Coyotes (9-8-1) were one of those teams that we didn’t really know what we were getting at the start of the season. Realistically, all they were really hoping for were some signs of improvement over what they have delivered over the past few seasons, and they have been able to achieve that so far. The Coyotes have benefitted somewhat from a Pacific Division that is down overall this season, but they have also received a lot from their rookie Max Domi. The young man has 8G and 8A for 16 points, and has been on a tear of late. If he continues to post those sorts of numbers, do not be surprised if he lifts the Calder Trophy for the rookie of the year at the end of this season. There is still an awfully long way to go this season, but the future looks bright for the Coyotes.

Coyotes vs Canadiens Key Betting Trends

The total has gone OVER in 7 of Arizona’s last 10 games Arizona is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games on the road The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona’s last 6 games on the road Arizona is 2-12-3 SU in its last 17 games when playing Montreal Arizona is 1-7-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Montreal Montreal is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games The total has gone OVER in 10 of Montreal’s last 12 games Montreal is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home The total has gone OVER in 5 of Montreal’s last 7 games at home Montreal is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing Arizona

So, What Should You Bet On?

Montreal are a force to be reckoned with on home ice, and are currently 8-1-1 at the Bell Center. Arizona is 6-4-1 on the road, so they cannot be overlooked here. I still think Montreal will get the win, but it should be a close one.