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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Face-off: 1900 ET, 19/04/2022
Arena: Centre Bell
Montreal may be reeling on the ropes following five straight defeats but are fancied to come out fighting when entertaining Minnesota.
The Canadiens will be keen to avenge January’s 8-2 drubbing at Xcel Energy Centre and the Wild could just be weary from a series of tight tussles.
We reckon 3.2 for a home win on the money line is tempting enough to warrant support in our Montreal Canadiens vs Minnesota Wild predictions.
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Montreal are only two points above Arizona in the race to avoid this season’s wooden spoon, so there is still something to play for.
They played better than the final scoreline suggests when going down 8-4 to Washington here on Saturday, only trailing 4-3 early in the third period.
The pressure of backing up took its toll on a small squad late on but the Canadiens will be better prepared for this contest.
Ryan Poehling said: “We play fast and it’s a fun system to play but you’ve got to be honest about it, you’ve got to play hard defensively.
“When we do that and you see it out there and we’re on top of guys, it’s hard to play against and we end up with the puck a lot more.
“So, if you can do that right now and just kind of make that part of your game, I think the game comes a lot easier.”
Carey Price will be back in goal tonight and determined to claim a first win of the season following injury problems.
A fast start would certainly help and 2.25 for Montreal to open the scoring catches the eye from the NHL odds.
Minnesota have secured a place in the playoffs after an outstanding run of 13-1-3 and could still finish as high as second in the Western Conference.
However, they have been made to work hard over the past few days, with their last three matches all going to overtime.
That includes back-to-back weekend fixtures, with Saturday’s 6-5 loss at St Louis followed by a 5-4 home win over struggling San Jose.
The Wild are beginning to show signs of wear and tear, with Jordan Greenway, Jon Merrill and Matt Dumba all out with upper-body injuries.
Forward Marcus Foligno misses this trip due to Covid protocols and Tyson Jost is another doubt.
Mitchell Chaffee has been called up from Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League and Minnesota may just see this as a match to give away.
Five of their last six games are at home, so there is still time to establish a high seeding for the post-season.
Let’s take a punt on Montreal to prevail 4-3 at 17.0 in our NHL predictions.
Additional stats
Last result:
MONTREAL 4-8 Washington
MINNESOTA 5-4 San Jose (OT)
Season head-to-head: Minnesota 8-2 Montreal
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