Tip: Top clash in Canada as the Montreal Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild

Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild have both exceeded preseason expectations and are firmly positioned near the top of their respective conferences. With several smart acquisitions made during the season, they have also laid the groundwork to remain there all the way into the playoffs.

Minnesota Wild’s heavy injury situation

Minnesota delivered a strong performance last night, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 6–3 after a hat trick from Marcus Foligno. The win was the team’s second straight following a stretch of weaker results. Despite that, the injury situation remains a major concern.

The entire regular second line is still missing: Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson, and points leader Matt Boldy. Those players rank second, third, and fourth on the team’s internal scoring list. On top of that, Jonas Brodin remains sidelined — a defenseman whose defensive qualities are sorely missed, especially in games of this caliber. From a Swedish perspective, there is also hope that Brodin can return in time for the Olympic tournament, for which he has been selected.

Minnesota’s ability to strengthen its blue line with Quinn Hughes has given the team a completely new dimension. Production from the back end has long been an issue, and Hughes has quickly become a key player. At the same time, he is being played extremely heavy minutes, and with this being the second night of a back-to-back, it is fair to question how fresh his legs will be when facing a fast, strong-skating Montreal team.

Montreal’s smart additions paying off

Montreal Canadiens have remained near the top of the Eastern Conference for most of the season and continue to impress. Above all, they have quietly made several very astute acquisitions.

Alexander Texier and Phillip Danault have added both depth and stability. Danault, who previously played in Montreal, has made an immediate defensive impact and was an important piece when the club reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. Texier brings offensive upside and has also made it possible to move Slafkovsky down to the second line alongside Demidov and Kapanen — an energy-filled unit with plenty of speed and creativity.

Montreal can still be somewhat naïve at times, which is perhaps not surprising given the team’s low average age. However, their ability to raise the tempo and apply aggressive pressure is clear — and that is exactly the type of game script that could cause problems for an injury-riddled Minnesota on the second night of a back-to-back.

Betting pick and conclusion

These are two teams that have impressed and, to some extent, exceeded expectations heading into the season. With a fully healthy roster, Minnesota is arguably the slightly stronger team on paper. However, with several key players sidelined and a physical game in their legs from last night, there are strong reasons to believe they will struggle to keep up with a young, fast, and well-rested Montreal team that has not played in three days.

When Jesper Wallstedt has also lost some of the stability he showed early in the season and has allowed a few too many goals recently, the case only becomes stronger.

The play is therefore: Montreal Canadiens ML @ -141 at bet365