Part of a massive Thursday night NHL slate brings us a bigtime battle between Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars.
These are two of the premier teams in the league and will provide must-watch action.
Both teams have earned similar winning records, which is expected both internally and externally. They should both see the big test at hand, as either team could take this.
How will things play out? We are here to provide our expert Canadiens vs. Stars prediction and outlook to get you ready for some great NHL action.
Canadiens vs. Stars betting picks and predictions
Stars ML (-165)
At 7-4-1, Dallas has been performing at the high standard that they are used to.
Although they currently sit third in a highly competitive Central Division, they have just a four-point cushion over seventh place.
They know the work is just beginning and coming off of a tough 5-1 loss will have them highly motivated in this one.
Montreal has been playing excellent hockey, with a 4-0-1 record in their last five games. However, that span of games does not feature a team as strong as Dallas, so they may be stopping in their tracks.
The Stars have posted a 4-3-0 record on home ice but are playing a team in Montreal that has excelled on the road at 4-1-1.
However, this is the Canadiens' fourth-straight road game, and they could possibly be running out of steam.
Ivan Demidov and Nick Suzuki remain out with injury for Montreal and, while they've been performing well without them, an opponent like Dallas may expose a depletion of star talent.
Montreal's special teams also add cause for concern, with a poor power play of 11.4%, and an 83.7% penalty kill that is above average, but penetrable.
Dallas has outperformed them in both categories and should be able to present a well-rounded game, winning on home ice.
Over 5.5 (-140)
Part of what makes this game must-watch is the sheer display of skill we could be in for. Cole Caufield, Jason Robertson, and Mikko Rantanen scratch the surface of the elite talent within this meeting, making it a strong possibility for lots of goals.
The Stars are nowhere near the top in goals per game (2.67 per game), but their defensive efforts have been so successful, that they haven't exactly needed to run up scoreboards.
In this game, a talented Montreal team will force Dallas to not only show up defensively, but to make their mark on the scoresheet as well.
The Canadiens have not been scoring at will either (3.00 goals per game), and are playing a team with the lowest goals against average (2.00 goals against per game).
However, their recent run of success has instilled a confidence in this team that could be hard to break.
Even without Demidov and Suzuki, this is a team that can score and has multiple remaining weapons.
Not only is there great offensive talents on forward, but Lane Hutson and Miro Heiskanen highlight some highly capable offensive defencemen who can chip into this total as well.
While the trends haven't exactly shown massive levels of offence from these two teams, we could be in for a high-scoring affair.
Wyatt Johnston to score anytime (+155)
Wyatt Johnston has been a vital part of Dallas' success over the past few seasons. He is a dynamic and skilled center who has potted 134 goals in 328 games (0.41 per game) prior to this season, including 22 goals in 62 playoff games (0.35 per game).
His 2026-27 campaign has gotten off to a slow start, as he has just two goals in 10 games (0.20 per game). His shooting percentage (7.4%) is the lowest it's been throughout his whole career and is bound to change.
Montreal continues a gruesome road trip and could be losing some steam. They could come into this game on their heels against a powerful offence in Dallas.
As his efforts increase to heat up offensively, this game presents an excellent opportunity for Johnston to lead the pack and make effective use of his high 20:11 time on ice average.
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Canadiens vs. Stars odds
Montreal Canadiens | +140 |
Dallas Stars | -165 |
Puck Line | DAL Stars -1.5 |
Total | O/U 5.5 |
Canadiens vs. Stars player props
Anytime goalscorer
Jason Robertson (DAL Stars) | +140 |
Mikko Rantanen (DAL Stars) | +155 |
Cole Caulfield (MON Canadiens) | +160 |
Wyatt Johnston (DAL Stars) | +160 |
Roope Hintz (DAL Stars) | +195 |
Juraj Slafkovsky (MON Canadiens) | +255 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
