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It is outdoor hockey on Saturday night in Ottawa, as the Montreal Canadiens visit the Ottawa Senators in the 2017 Scotiabank NHL 100 Classic on NBCSN. The game will be played at TD Place in Lansdowne Park, Ottawa Ontario, with an expected temperature of 12 degrees Fahrenheit with a 40% chance of snow flurries. The Senators will be happy to have the attention on the spectacle of the game, because they don’t want people looking at their play on the ice, as they have been one of the worst teams in the NHL this season.
Don't miss the ice action from TD Place at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 17, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on NBCSN.
We'll have NHL odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NHL Saturday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Canadiens have been a schizophrenic team this season, but there is no doubt they have been much better with Carey Price in goal. This will be his second outdoor game, as he lost 4-0 to Calgary in 2011 at McMahon Stadium. He was out due to injury when the Canadiens beat the Bruins at Gillette Stadium in 2016. “It’s refreshing playing outdoors, breathing in the cold air and playing in the elements. There’s nothing like it,” Price said to Sportsnet. “It’s definitely one of those things that I’ll look back on my career and be glad that I took part in it.”
The Canadiens were 13-14-4 in their first 31 games. Five of those wins came against Buffalo and Detroit. Montreal has a seven-game losing streak this season and a five-game winning streak. “Well, if I knew, I certainly would’ve done something about (the Canadiens’ streaky play),” head coach Claude Julien said recently. “It is frustrating.” Montreal was 5-8 in their first 13 road games, with eight games going over, four going under, with one push. They are scoring 2.7 goals per game and giving up 3.2 per contest.
The Senators have been a mess this season, as they are just barely ahead of Buffalo at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The Senators lost to the Sabres earlier this week to hit rock bottom. They had one win in their last 13 games before Wednesday’s game against the Rangers. Rumors are swirling about the future of head coach Guy Boucher but it seems unlikely anything will happen until the New Year.
Ottawa was just 4-10 in their first 14 home games, with seven games going over and seven going under. They are scoring 2.7 goals per game and giving up 3.3 per contest.
Special Teams
The Canadiens are just 20th on the power play and they are just 25th in the league in penalty killing. The Senators have been awful with their special teams this season, as they rank 27th on the power play and 27th in penalty killing.
Key Stat
It has been all Montreal in this series of late, as they have won the last five meetings including both games this season. Montreal won 8-3 in Ottawa and 2-1 at home. Montreal has won four of the last six in Ottawa, with the last three going over the total.
Free NHL Picks
The NHL 100 Classic is a commemorative event which marks the first NHL game in history, as the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens played on December 19, 1917. If there was ever a time for Ottawa to turn the corner this season it would seem like Saturday night would be the perfect time. They are playing a huge rival in front of a sellout crowd, and it is not like Montreal has been anything special this season. There is no question that the numbers and trends are in favor of the Habs, but I like the situation for the Senators, so I will take them to get the home win.
NHL Odds: Senators 3, Canadiens 2
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