After a dominant 5-2 victory in Madison Square Garden over the New York Rangers, the Vancouver Canucks are beginning to heat up. Vancouver has now won five of their last six games, and will look to continue their momentum on Monday night at the Prudential Center against the New Jersey Devils.
Now holding a record of 26-22-6, the Canucks remain sixth place in the Pacific Division and are three points out of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Their opponent on Monday, the New Jersey Devils, have had a disappointing season after being tipped as dark horse playoff contenders coming into this year. New Jersey’s record is currently 18-29-5, including a 3-7-0 stretch in their last ten outings, and they sit dead last in the Metropolitan Division. The Devils record places them as the fifth worst team in the NHL.
Led by veteran head coach Lindy Ruff, New Jersey hold talents including the likes of Dougie Hamilton, Jack Hughes, and Jesper Bratt. Special teams have been inconsistent for the Devils this season, but are not a crippling problem for the club. Their power play efficiency of 17.7% is good for 22nd in the league, whilst their 81.6% penalty kill success rate puts them 11th in the NHL.
This matchup will be the first of two between New Jersey and Vancouver this season, with the return game in Vancouver set to take place on March 15th.
As noted earlier, the Canucks are on the second half of a back-to-back after beating the Rangers on Sunday. The Devils are well rested after getting the entire weekend off following their 8-5 defeat against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.
New Jersey’s goaltending situation has been a disaster this season with six goalies getting at least three starts. Goaltender Jon Gillies allowed six goals against Chicago in his last outing, meaning there is a strong chance Nico Daws gets the start in place of him.
Bruce Boudreau said postgame on Sunday that “in all likelihood” Jaroslav Halak will get the start in net for the Canucks.
The odds for this game are courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook, the official betting partner of FanSided.
Betting Odds
Moneyline
Canucks +105
Devils -125
Goal Total
Over 6.0 goals at -105
Under 6.0 goals at -115
Puckline
Canucks +1.5 at -240
Devils -1.5 at +195
Prediction
Given the current state of both New Jersey and Vancouver, it’s surprising that the Canucks are underdogs in this game. Vancouver is on the road and playing on back-to-back days, but are the team actually playing meaningful hockey compared to New Jersey, who are most definitely out of any playoff hunt. The Canucks are the better team on paper and, given the fact they’re available on the moneyline at plus money, they seem like the easy bet in this situation.
Vancouver wins outright on the road.
Pick: Canucks moneyline at +105
What are your thoughts on this upcoming game between the Canucks and Devils? What bets will you be placing on the game? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comment section!