Vancouver Canucks vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction, 3/20/2021 NHL Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Vancouver Canucks vs Montreal Canadiens

Date: Saturday, March 20, 2021

Location: Bell Centre in Montreal, QC

TV: TVAS

Odds/Point Spread: Canucks (+158) Canadiens (-172)

Braden Holtby and the Vancouver Canucks (15-16-2) head to Bell Centre on Saturday where they'll take on the Montreal Canadiens (13-8-8). The Canucks open this matchup at +158 while the Canadiens are priced at -172. The over/under opens at 6.

The Canucks were on the right side of the scoreboard with a 3-2 victory against the Senators in their previous contest. The Corsi for the Canucks was 45 and the Corsi against was 69 meaning they had a Corsi percentage of 39.5%. The offensive zone starts for them were rated at 57.3% and their PDO was 100.5 for this game. Vancouver tallied 4 penalty minutes in this matchup. The Canucks played like an average offensive team in this win. Their Fenwick came in at 38 and the Fenwick Against sat at 50, giving them a Fenwick percentage of 43.2%. They garnered 26 face-off victories when at even strength and were beaten on 19 opportunities to take control of the puck. They also had 2 power play attempts but didn't get a goal. While out there on the ice, they converted 3 out of the 29 shots they attempted.

Vancouver Canucks opponents have tallied 117 power play tries (1st in the NHL) and have a total of 22 goals in those chances. The Canucks have had 1,113 shots taken against them and have earned a save percentage of .907. Vancouver has tried 1,008 shots and holds a shooting percentage of 8.8%. When at even strength, the Canucks have allowed 82 goals while notching 69 of their own. Vancouver has 100 power play opportunities and they have scored 20 goals during those advantages, giving them a rate of 20.00%. For the season, they have scored 32 points and their points percentage comes in at .485. In relation to their goal scoring prowess, the Vancouver Canucks have earned 89 goals (14th in the NHL) over the course of the season and have conceded 104.

The player in the crease for this game is Braden Holtby. Over the course of his career, Holtby has accumulated 269 quality starts and his quality starts percentage sits at .574. His save percentage sits at .915 during his 27,486 mins guarding the cage. Holtby has seen 13,852 shots taken against him and has gathered 12,680 saves. Opponents have been able to score 1,172 goals against Holtby in his pro career and his average for goals against per game is 2.56. He has accumulated a win-loss record of 286-128-47 and he has started in 469 games. Holtby has been in goal for 479 matchups over the course of his NHL career.

In their last game, Montreal played the Jets in an outing where the Canadiens went home in defeat by a final score of 4-3. Montreal wound up with a 62.3% Corsi rating. This Corsi percentage speaks to the kind of game that Montreal played and you could say that they played like a middle of the road team. Their Fenwick rate came in at 59.5% by way of having a Fenwick of 44 and the Jets ending the game with a 30 Fenwick. Their PDO was 94 and they earned an oZS percentage of 62.1%. The Canadiens notched 3 goals of the 36 shots on goal they pursued. They had 2 opportunities on the power play in this contest but weren't able to finish one of them with a goal.

Montreal has taken 957 shots (6th in hockey) and has earned a shot percentage of 9.72%, while allowing the other team 848 shots. They have a penalty kill rate of 76.70% on their opponents 103 power play tries, and their save percentage currently comes in at 90.9%. They have a total of 79 power play opportunities and they have earned a power play percentage of 21.52%. The Canadiens are sitting with 76 goals at even strength and 17 goals (20th in hockey) while having more men on the ice. They have allowed 77 goals to be scored by way of 53 goals at even strength and 24 goals while they had less men on the ice. So far this year, the Montreal Canadiens have tallied 93 goals, 34 points, as well as a points percentage of .586.

On the other side of the ice you will find Carey Price patrolling the crease. Price is the owner of a lifetime mark of 357-255-79 and has played in 701 games. Price's rate of quality starts sits at 57.5% and he has made 396 quality starts in his pro hockey career. He has tallied 19,078 stops out of 20,801 shots attempted, which gives him a save % of .917. His opposition is averaging 2.50 goals per game and he has relinquished 1,723 goals altogether. He has started in 689 games and has racked up 41,379 minutes.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take Montreal (-172)

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