The Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders will square off Thursday night in a game carrying immense weight in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
A recent surge from the Canadiens has them holding onto the second Wild Card spot, while the New York Islanders sit just three points behind.
My Canadiens vs. Islanders predictions expect the offenses to make plenty of noise in tonight’s matchup. Let’s break things down further with my NHL picks for March 20.
Canadiens vs Islanders prediction
My Canadiens pick: Over 5.5 (-120 at BET99)
My Canadiens analysis
This game has sneaky potential for real offensive fireworks. The Montreal Canadiens have hit another level offensively of late, scoring 35 goals over the last 10 games.
Those numbers aren’t inflated by one or two big showings as they’ve consistently put up healthy numbers on the scoreboard. Montreal has found the back of the net at least three times in eight of the last 10 and potted four or more in seven of those games.
The top line of Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, and Cole Caufield has fired on all cylinders while the Canadiens have also gotten depth scoring all throughout their lineup.
Montreal is playing with a lot of confidence right now — understandably so — and will pose a real threat to an New York Islanders squad that ranks 31st in expected goals against per 60 over the last 10.
And while the Islanders are not generally thought of as a good offensive team, there’s reason to believe they can keep up.
The Isles have scored four goals or more in four of the last eight, with most of the exceptions coming against stout playoff-bound teams like the Jets, Kings, and Oilers. The Canadiens might make the dance but they’re certainly not at that level defensively.
In fact, the Canadiens’ scoring prowess has masked the fact they rank 29th in expected goals against — and dead last in shot attempts allowed — over the past 10 games.
Even with a solid matchup between the pipes, this is a spot where both offenses should be able to make some noise.
Canadiens vs Islanders same-game parlay (SGP)
Over 5.5
Cole Caufield Over 0.5 points
Bo Horvat Over 0.5 points
Cole Caufield is one of the hottest offensive players in the league. He has points in eight of his last 10 games, over which time he’s had more multi-point efforts (3) than pointless performances (2).
He is playing his best, most productive hockey of the season at a time the Canadiens need him most.
Caufield was held off the scoresheet last time out but he hasn’t gone back-to-back games without a point in more than a month. He has also feasted on the Islanders this season, recording two goals and three points over two matchups while finding the scoresheet in both games.
Bo Horvat has points in 63% of home games this season, including 11 of the last 13. He has not been slowed by the injury to Mathew Barzal or the departure of Brock Nelson at the deadline.
With the Islanders in desperate need of every point they can get, Horvat will no doubt get a full workload and then some in a game of such importance.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Canadiens vs Islanders odds
Canadiens vs Islanders live odds
Canadiens vs Islanders opening odds
- Puck line: Montreal +1.5 (-239) | New York -1.5 (+201)
- Moneyline: Montreal +114 | New York -128
- Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-110) | Under 5.5 (-104)
Odds courtesy of BET99
Canadiens vs Islanders trend
The Canadiens have only hit the Over in 25 of their last 40 away games. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Islanders.
How to watch Canadiens vs Islanders
| Location | UBS Arena, Elmont, NY |
| Date | Thursday, 3-20-2025 |
| Puck drop | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | RDS |
Canadiens vs Islanders latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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