Montreal Tries To Down Struggling Jets

Winnipeg Jets @ Montreal Canadiens – Thursday April 4, 2013 7:30PM EST

The Winnipeg Jets are struggling with success. The sportsbook experts have watched the Winnipeg Jets lose four games in a row immediately after the team took over sole possession of first place in the Southeast Division. The one thing that the Jets have going for them is that the Carolina Hurricanes do not seem able to take advantage of the Jets’ struggles. Despite losing four games in a row, Winnipeg still holds onto the top spot in the division by two points. Each game that Winnipeg plays from now on is critically important to the team’s playoff chances.

The online betting experts have been watching the battle for the Northeast Division lead all season long. The Montreal Canadiens have a tenuous one-point lead over the Boston Bruins as the two teams continue to battle for the division lead. Montreal has won its last three games and knows that it needs to keep winning if it wants to maintain its status. The Bruins just picked up Jaromir Jagr to make things even more interesting in the Northeast Division. The Canadiens have very little room for error and every win counts from now until the end of the season.

Why the Jets Will Win

The betting sites have noticed that the Winnipeg defense has been playing a little too reserved as of late. The Jets got to where they are by attacking the opposition with its offense and defense. Ever since the team took over the division lead, it has been trying too hard to defend its zone without attacking. In this game, the Canadiens can expect the Jets to start attacking again and trying to regain the form that put Winnipeg on the top of its division. It will be difficult for Winnipeg to make the playoffs without winning the division, so this game is extremely important.

Why the Canadiens Will Win

Everything with the Montreal Canadiens seems to be clicking at the right moment. This shortened season will not give the Canadiens a chance to fade away, as the team has done in past years. Montreal has really developed a strong defensive corps that has been more than able to protect the Montreal net and goaltender Carey Price. The speed of the Montreal forwards will give Winnipeg a lot of problems in this game and that could be the difference here.

The Bottom Line

The Winnipeg Jets cannot afford to let the Southeast Division lead slip away because the team would instantly fall out of the playoff race if it lost the division lead. The Montreal Canadiens are more concerned with the advancing Bruins than they are in catching the Pittsburgh Penguins for first place in the Eastern Conference. This will be a hotly contested game, but Winnipeg just does not have the guns to stay with Montreal.

Pick: Montreal Canadiens