Stars v Canadiens: probable line-ups, prediction and odds
3VS2Predicted score
Montréal CanadiensProbable line-ups
StarsGoalie probable · OettingerLine 1 · Pair 1Goalie probable · FowlerCanadiensThe match setting
The Dallas Stars host the Montréal Canadiens at American Airlines Center on Thursday night (8 p.m. ET): the NHL's stingiest defence against a Montréal side on a three-game winning streak.
Dallas allow the fewest goals in the NHL (2.00 per game) and the second-fewest shots (22.2), and have the league's best penalty kill (92.9%). The attack is another story: 2.67 goals per game (25th), 26.9 shots (20th) and an 18.5% power play (21st).
Mikko Rantanen (14 points) and Jason Robertson (13) carry the Dallas offence, with Roope Hintz at 10. In net, Jake Oettinger is 6-2-1 with a .929 save percentage and a 1.43 goals-against average.
Montréal have won their last three games, all on the road, giving up one goal or fewer each time (4-1 in Chicago, 2-1 in Winnipeg, 2-0 in St. Louis). Jacob Fowler is 6-1-0 with a .942 save percentage. The weak spot is the power play: 11.4%, 29th in the league, against the best penalty kill in the NHL.
Canadiens: captain Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov are out.
The 3 key points
- 1.A wall in Dallas2.00 goals allowed per game and a 92.9% penalty kill, both first in the NHL.
- 2.Fowler on a roll6-1-0 with a .942 save percentage, and three straight road wins for Montréal.
- 3.Habs power play stuck11.4% (29th), without Suzuki and Demidov, against the league's best penalty kill.
The Teacher's verdict
Montréal arrive in form and Jacob Fowler keeps them in every game, but without Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov their power play will struggle against the NHL's best penalty kill. In what should be a low-scoring game, Jake Oettinger and the Stars at home have our preference.
Predicted score
Model score: the most likely scoreline from the live odds.
Teacher mode onOnly bet what you can afford to lose.The Teacher's picks are analyses, not certainties. Always check the odds before you bet.