Expect Fireworks From Montreal's Game Against Columbus on Wednesday

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Expect Fireworks From Montreal's Game Against Columbus on Wednesday
© USA Today

The NHL season relaxes a bit on Wednesday night with just three games on the schedule. There was supposed to be four games but we will dive into that below.

These shorter slates are a preview of what is to come for the playoffs. Likely, they will be far more entertaining, but Wednesday night seeks to crank up the energy level anyway. Let’s look ahead and a slight gander back to get you ready for your NHL betting.

What to make of the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday?

The records are not to be thrown out the window for Wednesday night’s game between the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets. Both teams are what they are. They can generate lots of chances and can give up even more.

A concern is that there appears to be an obvious option. When an Over is dangled this badly at even money (2.00), it has to be hammered anyway. Why? The math is there. These are two of the three worst teams at giving up goals.

Montreal ranks 31st with 3.79 goals allowed. Their penalty kill is 73% on the road and they commit 10.2 penalty minutes per game. That ranks 28th and this number jumps closer to 11 penalty minutes away from Bell Centre. That is less than optimal. It does not matter who is starting in net.

The body of work from both teams dictate shots and goals are to be in good supply on Wednesday. It is not the lock of a wager by any means, but Ontario sports betting players can get in on this one before the numbers come down.

So what happened with that Winnipeg Jets game?

Betting in sports can be a funny thing and then “Mother Nature” throws a hellacious knucklepuck into the equation. What do we mean? The Winnipeg Jets were supposed to play the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night as Winnipeg tries to chase down the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference.

There were so many options to choose from because, even though Seattle does not allow the most scoring chances, the Kraken is good at yielding pucks crossing that red goal line. This was punctuated on Tuesday night when Seattle carried a 3-1 lead heading into the third period at Calgary.

Their offense dried up as the Flames asserted their will. That final 20 minutes saw the Flames fire in four goals on Seattle as that two-goal lead turned into a two-goal loss.

This should have set up well for Winnipeg as they needed the valuable two points to keep place with Vancouver as well as the wildcard teams.

Alas, sometimes those best laid plans, with goal prop bets, Overs, and more do not come to fruition.

This wagering loss was not delivered by an opposing team but by again, the weather. It was also to help facilitate Winnipeg as they have two games (Friday and Saturday) in Florida vs. the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The postponed Wednesday contest will be made up on May 1. Just imagine if that game has playoff implications. According to a source or two, if the Jets were to make the playoffs, the earliest they could start would be May 3. That probably was a likely scenario anyway.

Recapping Calgary, Ottawa, and yes, Vancouver

When NHL betting seems a little out of whack, Tuesday night showed that sometimes the trends play in one’s favor. However, they might just take their sweet time in doing so.

Naturally, Calgary needed a little boost from Matthew Tkachuk and that top line to come back against Seattle. Not only did the Overs hit but the puckline managed to as well.

After that, there was Ottawa finding a way to defeat Detroit. The score might not have been indicative of the closeness as the two empty-net goals helped the Senators salt away the game. A win is a win and a cover is a cover.

Also, there were the Vancouver Canucks. The expectation was for a wild, chaotic game on Tuesday night vs. the Vegas Golden Knights.

This game delivered and then some. Nine goals were scored between the two teams. Also, Vancouver battled back after giving up a two-goal lead in the third period. Vegas forced overtime as Mark Stone did return.

There was a spot to live-bet right after the Vegas tying goal and few people took advantage of it. More went to the side of Vegas at 4-2 Vancouver. That was understandable.

However, the play was the Canucks all along. Luckily, Quinn Hughes sent home Canuck fans happy early in overtime. Sometimes it just all works out. Sometimes it does not. That is wagering life.