Canadiens vs. Golden Knights: Game 2 betting odds, preview, and pick

The Montreal Canadiens – the Cinderella story of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs – were unable to upset the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of this semifinal series. The home team won with ease, 4-1, and oddsmakers and bettors are expecting much of the same at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday night based on the current lines.

Will the Golden Knights cash in as heavy favorites? Let’s dig into the matchup.

Montreal Canadiens at Vegas Golden Knights, 9:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN

Vegas halted the Canadiens’ seven-game winning streak in Game 1, extending their winning streak to five in a row. The Golden Knights have outscored their competition 21-9 in that span.

Though the exploits of William Karlsson (the team leader with 12 postseason points) and company have gone a long way toward Vegas’ success, Marc-Andre Fleury’s excellent play between the pipes has been a big reason why the Golden Knights remain in contention for Lord Stanley’s hardware. The veteran netminder lowered his GAA to 1.84 and raised his save % to .927 after holding Montreal to one goal on 29 shots in Game 1.

The Canadiens have mustered just 2.42 goals per game in these playoffs, so they’ve desperately needed goaltender Carey Price to play at a Hall-of-Fame level. Price has answered the call for the most part (2.15 GAA, .929 save %), but his effort in Game 1 – four goals on 30 shots against – left much to be desired.

Betting the Golden Knights on the moneyline won’t yield much profit, so pursuing a parlay option looks like a smart idea. With Fleury and Price playing at such a high level this postseason, it’s hard to envision a “firewagon” matchup breaking out. The Under seems like a safe addition to this parlay.

NHL pick: Golden Knights ML & Under parlay (+135)

Featured Player Prop: Max Pacioretty to score (+123)

Vegas forward Max Pacioretty pointed in seven straight postseason contests before being held off the scoresheet in Game 1 against his former club. Pacioretty registered just one shot on goal on Monday night, in stark contrast with his 3.43 shots per game average in his previous seven playoff games. Prop bettors should back Pacioretty to have a statistical rebound in Game 2.