Pinnacle -½ +175  Bet365 -½ +175 SportsInteraction N/A 5DIMES -½ +175 888Sport -½ +175

Posted at 12:00 PM EST. 

Montreal -½ +175 over FLORIDA

7:08 PM EST. Regulation only. Both these two played last night and had very different results. The Habs were outshooting the Bolts 18-0 at one point in the first period, built a 2-0 lead but then Tampa woke up and went nutso on the Habs by dominating the rest of the way en route to a 5-4 win. The Panthers were a big favorite over the Red Wings, fell behind 3-1 and then scored three quickies in row in the second period to take a 4-3 lead before holding on by the exact same score, 5-4. The Panthers had four high danger chances and scored five goals. They were the second best team on the ice but Detroit’s weak goaltending prevented the big upset.

Montreal now makes the short trip from Tampa to Sunrise. The Canadiens have been a top-3 puck possession team this entire season and that means they figure to have the puck more than the Panthers in this one. The Habs rank second overall in puck-possession time in the offensive end during five-on-five play while the Panthers rank 17th. Over the past month, Montreal ranks 4th in the offensive end during five-on-five play while the Panthers rank 24th. It’s also worth noting that Florida’s top defenseman, Aaron Ekblad is out and will not play here.

Finally, this game is in Florida but if you’ve ever watched games at this arena, the joint is empty on most nights. Tonight, the place will be packed with Canadiens fans, as Sunrise is a haven for French Canadian snowbirds that spend the winter in that region. Even Canadian hockey fans that are not from the Quebec area but spend time in Florida during the winter will want a ticket to this game. For the Habs, this will feel like a home game but no matter how you break it down, Montreal is the better team that will very likely outplay the Panthers.

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