The Canadiens have been very solid since trading away starting goalie Cristobal Huet at the deadline. BetOnline.com has Montreal Canadiens –150 odds favorites against the Ottawa Senators +130 with the over/under set at 6 goals. With a 5-2-0 record since rookies Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak took over in net, Montreal fans are breathing a collective sigh of relief. The young netminders have only allowed more than two goals twice in that stretch and, if you exclude Montreal's 6-4 loss to San Jose, Price and Halak have combined to allow just 11 goals in six games. The Habs lost 3-1 to Anaheim on Sunday, but they are still very much in contention for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They need their rookie goalies to keep up their solid play.
Ottawa was once in the mix to win the East but is really struggling. Though the team is still only three points back of conference-leader New Jersey, it has fallen to fifth in the standings. The Senators got a road win in Phoenix on Saturday, but they've gone just 3-5-2 in their past 10. That certainly won't be enough to secure home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. If one thing is certain, it's that Martin Gerber has taken over in net – at least for now. Gerber has started five straight games and it's apparent the club has lost all faith in Ray Emery, largely because of locker room and commitment issues.
The Senators are 4-1 against the Canadiens this year, but three of those wins came in the first month and a half of the season. Both teams have changed drastically since then, Montreal for the better and Ottawa for the worse. Get your Free NHL Pick in Now!
Ottawa at Montreal, Thursday @ 7:30 p.m. ET
Free NHL Pick: Montreal
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