The Montreal Canadiens will look to halt a skid that has seen them fall to defeat in seven straight games when they return home on Thursday to take on the Edmonton Oilers as -130 favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Montreal’s woes continued with a third-period meltdown in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss in Detroit as -155 chalk that now leaves the club in seventh place in the hunt for an Eastern Conference wild card going into Thursday’s matchup at the Bell Centre.
The Canadiens’ current slide marks their second lengthy losing streak of the season. The team endured an eight-game losing streak that started in mid-November, and with just seven wins in their past 25 contests they now lag as a distant +12500 bet on the Stanley Cup odds.
Complicating matters for the Canadiens is their disappointing performance at home. The team has racked up a dismal 2-8-4 record in their past 14 home dates, and lead only the Red Wings and New Jersey with just eight home victories this season.
The Oilers travel to Montreal as +110 underdogs after establishing their first two-game win streak since November 24 with Monday’s 6-4 victory in Toronto as a +180 wager.
Edmonton has potted 19 total goals during a 3-0-1 run that has lifted the club back into contention in the Pacific Division standings, just three points back of Arizona and Vegas. The Oilers have also claimed victory in nine of their last 12 meetings with the Canadiens, including a 4-3 home victory as +105 underdogs at betting sites on December 21, but fell 4-3 in overtime in their most recent trip to Montreal back on February 3.
Elsewhere on the Thursday NHL odds, the Vancouver Canucks aim to rebound from a 9-2 beating in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night as they visit the Florida Panthers as +125 underdogs.
The Canucks’ loss to the Lightning while sporting +180 odds brought a screeching halt to a seven-game win streak that had lifted the team into a playoff position. Vancouver has struggled on the road, posting wins in just two of its past seven. However, the Canucks could be poised to rebound against the Panthers, who they have beaten in three straight meetings, and who enter Thursday’s clash as -145 favourites despite losing three of their past five.
As well, the Calgary Flames will try to keep pace with Edmonton by tallying a fourth straight win in their home date with the Minnesota Wild as -145 betting favourites on Thursday night, while the Winnipeg Jets looking to extend their win streak over Boston to four games when they visit the Bruins as +160 underdogs.
[relatedlinks]
