The Montreal Canadiens have been dominant lately, owning an 8-0-2 record that would've easily been 9-0-1 if they hadn't suffered the most shocking late-game collapse last week against the Winnipeg Jets. The team is led by rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler and timely scoring from their top six, even without one of their top offensive players, Ivan Demidov.
Their matchup against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night will be must-watch, as they've been on their own hot streak in the Western Conference with a 6-1-3 record over the last 10. It'll be an interesting week for Minnesota, as they had a chance to prove themselves against the league's best division in the Atlantic, but dropped their first game of the Atlantic swing at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canadiens, Maple Leafs, and Bruins now await on the road trip.
It's hard to bet against the Canadiens right now, but the Wild are strong contenders in their own right and have only lost back-to-back games twice this season. Despite the Atlantic Division’s strength, Minnesota is 2-1-2 against them this season, and I think they will be motivated not to drop a second straight game here against the Canadiens.
Meanwhile, it might be a bit of a letdown spot for Montreal, coming off a win over their rival Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, with a massive game looming against the Boston Bruins on Thursday.
Wild vs Canadiens prediction: Over 6.5 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable to that number.
