Canadiens Have Worst Odds to Win Eastern Conference, and They’re Getting Longer

• The NHL’s “qualification round” will begin on Aug. 1st, including the Montreal Canadiens facing Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins
• Montreal was 10 points out of a playoff spot when play was paused but remains in contention thanks to a novel postseason format precipitated by COVID-19
• The Habs have the worst NHL conference title odds of any team, but here’s why you shouldn’t be tempted to bet on them

The Montreal Canadiens long odds to win the Eastern Conference continue to get longer. Despite the NHL playoffs’ chaotic reputation (remember the Blue Jackets sweep against the Lightning last year?) the bettors seem quite confident that Montreal doesn’t stand a chance to win the Eastern Conference.

NHL Eastern Conference Odds

Odds as of July 16th.

Montreal received an invite to the “qualification round” (which pits the #5 to #12 seeds in each conference against each other in best-of-five series) because, well, the NHL needed a 12th team in the Eastern Conference to make it work. The other 11 teams were all in the playoff race, while the Canadiens lagged 10 points out of the second wild-card spot.

It’s extremely unlikely they win a play-in series and then three more rounds of playoff hockey and here’s why.

Carey Price Hasn’t Lived up to Big Contract

Hockey’s highest-paid goalie makes $10.5 million per year and quite frankly, it’s one of the worst contracts in the league. While many point to Price as the Canadiens’ hope for a deep playoff run, there aren’t any stats to suggest he’s capable of that at this point in his career.

This season, he ranked tied for 31st among qualified goalies with a 2.79 goals against average. The goalie he was tied with? Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings, a player many believe is well beyond his best years.

Nouvel équipement, MÊME CAREY. 🔥

New gear, SAME CAREY.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/eAQ1iyvgbO

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 15, 2020

Price had a .909 save percentage which was also tied for 31st, behind big-name goalies like Linus Ullmark and Ilya Samsonov. Sense the sarcasm? Anyone believing Price is more than an albatross on the salary cap at this point simply isn’t looking at the numbers.

Tomas Tatar Is Montreal’s Biggest Offensive Weapon

Tomas Tatar is a nice player who had a good season. His 61 points ranked 31st in the league and, had you offered that to any Canadiens fan prior to the year, they would have gladly accepted. The issue is none of his teammates had more than 47 points.

The Penguins-Canadiens series:

Game 1: Aug. 1
Game 2: Aug. 3
Game 3: Aug. 5
Game 4 (if necessary): Aug. 7
Game 5 (if necessary): Aug. 8 pic.twitter.com/3PuSa0DTh0

— Taylor Haase (@TaylorHaasePGH) July 10, 2020

Montreal was 19th in goals per game (2.93) and 19th in goals against (3.10). At -9, they own the worst goal differential of any team still in contention.

Consider Betting Canadiens Play-in Series Opponent

The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently listed at +900 in the NHL Eastern Conference odds and are finally healthy. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang all enter the play-in series at full health after a year filled with long-term injuries. If you consider the teams with a bye into the playoffs are all listed at +300 to +600, the Penguins are offering solid value.

Sidney Crosby out for practice way before everyone else. Some habits never change. pic.twitter.com/NvR1BkTw2Q

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) July 14, 2020

They should dispose of Montreal with ease and see their odds get considerably shorter. Jump on the Penguins before they take the ice against the Canadiens and prove they are a true Stanley Cup contender.