Free NHL Picks Today: Arizona Coyotes vs Montreal Canadiens 12/19/22

The Arizona Coyotes (10-15-4) play host to the Montreal Canadiens (14-15-2), who will be out to snap their losing streak, at Mullett Arena on Monday. Montreal is embarking on a seven-game road trip coming off a 5-1 loss against the Lightning on Saturday, their third consecutive defeat.

The Canadiens committed seven penalties in the game, conceding two power play goals. Nick Suzuki was the only player to find the net for the Canadiens. Jake Allen saved only 22 of 27 shots against (.814%) in the loss.Arizona fell 5-2 to the Sabres on Saturday.

Shayne Gostisbehere and Barrett Hayton both scored once for the Coyotes. Connor Ingram had a great performance with 38 saves (.926%) in the loss.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Canadiens won the first meeting between the teams this season, a 6-2 victory in October. Six players were on the scoresheet for Montreal. Travis Boyd (1G 1A) and Lawson Crouse (0G 2A) each had two points to lead Arizona. Allen got the win, saving 25 of 27 shots (.925%).

FACING OFF

Montreal is averaging only 2.74 goals per game for the season, 28th in the NHL. The visitors will be looking to improve on that figure against a Coyotes team that is allowing 3.66 goals a game (28th).

Meanwhile, Arizona has found the net 2.79 times a game on average, 26th in the league, and the Canadiens are allowing opponents to score 3.55 goals per game (25th).

Both teams average fewer shots/game than most teams in the league. Montreal ranks No. 30 with 28.8 attempts, while Arizona’s 23.9 average ranks 32nd. When it comes to shot-stopping, the Coyotes have been more successful, stopping .901% of shots as a team (20th), while the Canadiens have a team save percentage of .901% (21st).

Don’t be surprised to see a few power play opportunities for the Canadiens, as the Coyotes have been penalized 5.28 times a game, most in the NHL, for an average of 12.17 minutes (fourth-highest). The visitors are averaging 4.55 penalties (seventh) and 12.29 penalty minutes a game (3rd).

The Canadiens’ 13.86% power play percentage is the lowest in the league, while the Coyotes rank 22nd with a conversion rate of 20.00%. In terms of defending power plays, Montreal has the league’s 16th-ranked PK% at 78.57%, while Arizona is 20th at 76.61%.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With 31 points this season, Suzuki is the top skater for the Canadiens. He has 15 goals and 16 assists in 31 games. In the net, Sam Montembeault (5-3-2) is Montreal’s top goaltender by goals against average. He has a 2.99 GAA and a .908% save percentage. Allen (9-11-0) leads the Canadiens in games played in goal.

He has a GAA of 3.25 and a save percentage of .901%.Clayton Keller leads the Coyotes in scoring with 29 points. He has 12 goals and 17 assists in 29 games. Karel Vejmelka (9-8-3) is the top goalie for Arizona with a goals against average of 3.11. He has a save percentage of .911%.