The Detroit Red Wings have just two games ahead of them before the All-Star Break as they head across the border for Thursday night’s game. They will face off against the Montreal Canadiens as they look to stay in the win column for the second game in a row.
The Detroit Red Wings are fresh off of an overtime win against the San Jose Sharks and looking to post a strong finish before the break. In the postgame telecast after Tuesday night’s win, analyst Mickey Redmond talked about the Red Wings having post-season hopes.
It’s something that the Red Wings telecast brought up several times. But the Red Wings need to string together wins. Redmond mentioned that the team needs to get a winning streak going after the All-Star break, but it starts with a strong finish in the last two contests before the All-Star Break.
This starts with a win against the Habs. They recently lost Cole Caufield for the remainder of the season and are a team already short on offense as it is. First-year captain Nick Suzuki has had a great season, but the Red Wings should be able to take advantage of this one and look to come out on top.
Detroit Red Wings game information and prediction vs. Canadiens
It’s a familiar song and dance for the Red Wings. A game that seems winnable could turn tough for the Red Wings. They need to finish. Being able to create high-danger scoring chances and finish on them is the key part.
But a bit deeper than that, the Habs are going to bring some physicality, and the Red Wings need to stay disciplined and focus on their game plan of getting pucks on net and creating meaningful scoring chances. If they want to find success, it’s going to come from getting pucks on net and not just throwing pucks on net from the outside but getting in tight on Jake Allen (or Sam Montembault) to have better chances.
Game: Detroit Red Wings (20-18-8) v.s. Montreal Canadiens (20-25-3)
When: Thursday, January 26th
Time: 7:0 PM ET
Where: Bell Centre
Where to Watch: Bally Sports Detroit/ ESPN+
Odds: According to DraftKings, the Red Wings are the favorite on the Moneyline with a -155 payout. Montreal is +135 on the Moneyline, but the favorite on the Puck Line is -190 at +1.5. Detroit, however, is +160 at -1.5 on the Puck Line. The over/under is set at 6, with the over and under being set at -110 odds.
Prediction: If the Red Wings want to grab a second win in as many games, they need to create scoring chances. I like the Red Wings on the Moneyline here, but it will depend on their ability to manufacture scoring chances without leaving Husso out to dry. The offense has been inconsistent; if they can get in tight to create high-danger scoring chances, I like their odds to find the back of the net. The key thing is going to be playing solid defense to avoid leaving Husso to fend for himself.
With Dylan Larkin being on an absolute tear lately, picking up his 400th career point against San Jose on Tuesday, I think looking into some prop bets might be worth it. Whether that’s goals or points, I think taking the over and expecting another quality game from him could be smart.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.