New York Islanders vs Montreal Canadiens: Game preview, predictions and odds | March 20, 2025

The Montreal Canadiens will visit the New York Islanders tonight at 7:30 pm EDT. This is a crucial game for the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Right now, the Canadiens, at 33-27-7, hold the second wild card spot with 73 points. The Islanders, at 31-28-8, are just three points back and could narrow that margin tonight.

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Islanders vs Canadiens Head-to-Head and Key Stats

• The Canadiens are 113-71-15-5 all-time against the Islanders.
• The Canadiens are 47-46-6-2 when visiting the Islanders historically.
• The two teams have split the season series so far, so this is the deciding matchup.
• The Islanders have won two of the last three season series.
• The Islanders lead the all-time scoreline 647-565.
• New York averages 2.9 goals when hosting the Canadiens.
• Montreal averages 2.8 goals when visiting New York.

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New York Islanders vs Montreal Canadiens: Game Preview

The New York Islanders are coming off two crucial wins over the Florida Panthers and the Pittsburgh Penguins as they continue their hunt for the playoffs. Similarly, the Montreal Canadiens have two wins in a row over the Panthers and Ottawa Senators.

The New York Islanders are favorites tonight (Imagn)

The Canadiens have a few injuries to deal with tonight. Center Kirby Dach remains on Injured Reserve. Left wing Rafael Harvey-Pinard is out and so is defenseman Kaiden Guhle.

The Islanders also have a few injuries. Defensemen Adam Boqvist and Alexander Romanov are day-to-day and may not play tonight. Center Matthew Barzal and defenseman Semyon Varlamov are both on IR and not expected to return this season.

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Islanders vs Canadiens Betting Tips

• The Islanders are 15-15-4 as favorites this year.
• The Canadiens are 28-31-7 as underdogs.
• The Canadiens are 39-28 against the spread and 20-13 ATS on the road.
• The Islanders are 36-31 against the spread and 17-15 ATS at home.

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Islanders vs Canadiens Odds and Prediction

• The New York Islanders are favored at -147 on the moneyline.
• The Montreal Canadiens are +118 to win outright.
• The puck line is New York -1.5, which is +201.
• The Canadiens are -239 to cover.
• The total is 5.5 goals.
• The over is -115, and the under is +104.

Prediction: The Canadiens get a road upset win while covering the spread as well. The two teams do not, however, hit the points over: Canadiens 3, Islanders 2.