NHL Predictions – Tuesday, November 26:
Just two games on the NHL card tonight as the league gears up for 30 of the 32 teams in action on Wednesday before shutting down on Thursday. The spotlight game on the schedule is in Boston as it will be a homecoming for former Bruins player Jake DeBrusk, who spent his first seven seasons playing for Boston. The Canucks’ seven road wins this season are the second most in the NHL this season. In Montreal, the Canadiens should be an angry bunch after getting blown out by Vegas on Saturday night. After a scoreless opening period, the Canadiens were booed off the ice after surrendering five goals in the second. The Canadiens will look to end their homestand on a positive note before starting a three-game road trip. Here are tonight’s NHL predictions.
Vancouver Canucks at Boston Bruins (-120, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Canucks should be petitioning the league to move their remaining 30 home games from Rogers Arena to the road cities of their opponents. The Canucks have won just three of 11 games at home but are 7-1 on the road. Tonight is a homecoming for two former Bruins with the returns of Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen. DeBrusk signed with Vancouver over the summer after spending the first seven seasons of his career with Boston. Saturday, DeBrusk, who has a history of scoring in bunches, snapped a six-game goal drought with a pair of goals against the Senators. Heinen had 17 goals for the B’s last season and has scored three goals in two games versus Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman. One other player to look at is Kiefer Sherwood. He plays on the top line with Debrusk and Elias Pettersson and has points in four straight games. Vancouver should also get a boost from the return of Brock Boeser, who has missed the last seven games after taking a hit to the head from the Kings’ Tanner Jeannot. Boeser has three goals in two games versus Swayman.
The Bruins are 2-0 under interim head coach Joe Sacco despite scoring just three goals in the two games. Boston ranks last in offense, averaging 2.32 goals per game and scoring two goals or fewer in six of its last seven games. David Pastrnak’s 30-goal pace would be his lowest goal total for a full season in his career. Pasta is without a goal in his past four games and has just two goals in his last 12 games.
NHL Predictions: Jake DeBrusk 3+ SOG (+140) — ½ unit
Jake DeBrusk anytime goal (+255) — ¼ unit
Kiefer Sherwood over ½ point (+120) — ½ unit
Vancouver ML (+100) — ½ unit
Utah HC (-130, 6) at Montreal
7 p.m. ET
This is the final stop on Utah’s four-game road trip. Utah has dropped two of the three games after a 3-2 loss at Toronto on Sunday. It appears Karel Vejmelka will start for the sixth time in seven games and his fourth start in six days. With Connor Ingram still on injured reserve and the reluctance to give the recently recalled Jaxson Stauber a start, coach Andre Tourigny is going to ride Vejmelka until he drops. The Utah goalie is 2-0 lifetime against the Canadiens. It’s been all or nothing for Utah this season. They have scored four goals or more in seven of their eight wins but two goals or fewer in 10 of their 13 losses. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz both have 11 points in 11 career games versus the Canadiens. Utah is 2-1 this season as a road favorite and 2-7 as a road underdog.
The Canadiens were steamrolled 8-2 on Saturday night by the Vegas Golden Knights on home ice. The Bell Centre crowd voiced its displeasure with the home team booing the Canadiens off the ice as the second period ended with them down 5-0. The loss to Vegas snapped a two-game winning streak. Montreal has won 32 of 42 home games against the former Arizona Coyotes. Cole Caufield has just two goals in his last eight games (both in a game vs. Buffalo) and has three goals in three games against Vejmelka. Eleven of the previous 15 Canadiens games have had a combined six goals or more and seven of the eight games when Utah is a favorite have featured six goals or more.
NHL Predictions: Utah HC/Montreal over 6 (-115) – 1 unit
Clayton Keller over ½ assist (+120) – 1 unit
Nick Schmaltz over ½ point (-130) – 1 unit
Cole Caufield over ½ point (-142) – 1 unit
