Canadiens vs Jets Odds and Picks on March 17th

• The Montreal Canadiens are plus money as they face the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, March 17th, 2021
• Montreal took the first game of this set in Winnipeg between the two teams
• Montreal is an astonishing 8-3-6 on the road in this 2021 season

The Montreal Canadiens found a way to play the Winnipeg Jets at their own game. They were able to absorb two Kyle Connor goals and turn a solid goaltending performance from Carey Price into a 4-2 on Monday night. The puck drops Wednesday, March 17th, 2021 at 9 PM EST, with Montreal listed as small favorites in the Canadiens vs Jets odds.

Overall, Montreal has lost three of the last five matchups against Winnipeg. That being said, the Canadiens have won two of the previous three, while scoring three or more goals in four of those contests. Winnipeg’s offense has been all over the place against Montreal this season and has only scored three times in the previous two meetings.

Montreal Canadiens vs Winnipeg Jets Odds

Odds taken March 16th from DraftKings

Carey Price Playing Like Carey Price

Was it the firing of the goaltending coach and Claude Julien? Did Sean Burke come in as Director of Goaltending help? The answer is probably none of those. Price had to find his game a little bit. It was that simple. Over the last six starts, the Montreal Canadiens goaltender has done just that.

The last 6 games for Carey Price. #Habs pic.twitter.com/w5tgikzue9

— Joshua Henry (@joshuakhenry) March 16, 2021

Price went through a stretch where he just did not have anything in the tank. Naturally, the team suffered, and questions arose. The one thing Montreal has managed to do is limit a huge volume of shots coming Price’s way.

In none of his last six starts has the opposition tallied 35+ shots. Also, the Montreal goaltender has seen pucks better, and even his lateral movement has improved. It was on full display Monday night in Winnipeg.

Jeff Petry Has What Winnipeg Needs

One of the key factors of Montreal’s season is the ascension of Jeff Petry. Some debate that last season was even better. However, he has 11 goals and 25 points in 28 games. More importantly, his stable nature on defense, along with moving the puck quickly, has helped Montreal immensely.

There are some numbers that are eye-popping, and then there are these:

⭐️ Jeff Petry ⭐️

Is having a season! but the reality is, he had a great season last year (left side)

The big difference? Added skill to the lineup. His linemates are scoring at a 10% SH rate… whereas last season it was 6.7% (in the bottom 1/4 of the NHL).#GoHabsGo https://t.co/EoByeWtRI8 pic.twitter.com/60Cut6gnl9

— Jason Paul 🥥 (@WaveIntel) March 16, 2021

Petry simply makes anyone who plays with him on the right side better. That along with Carey Price’s recent play is why Montreal is on the upswing once again. Winnipeg’s defensive corp hopes Connor Hellebuyck is on its game every night, in contrast.

Impactful Injuries

The good news for both teams is that there are not too many injuries of significance and no one is on COVID protocol.

Ben Chiarot has been out since March 11th due to a hand injury. His precise timetable has now been laid out, and it is bad news for Montreal.

#Habs D Ben Chiarot is out six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery for his hand fractured in a fight with #Canucks JT Miller.

— Full Press Hockey (@FullPressNHL) March 15, 2021

As for Winnipeg, Nathan Beaulieu has been out since March 10th with an upper-body injury. Beaulieu is expected to be week-to-week.

Canadiens vs Jets Best Bet

While Montreal is playing better as of late, the key to Wednesday night’s game may just be special teams. Winnipeg is 7th in the league on the power play at 26.5% and went 2-for-3 versus Montreal on Monday.

The one consistent weakness of Carey Price this season has been his penalty-killing save percentage. It stands at just .816, which is the worst among goalies with 15 or more starts. The other part of this is the penalty kill for Winnipeg. That has to be better as it hovers around 75% at home (76.8% on the season). They were just 1-for-2 on Monday night.

Winnipeg doing several effective things but also giving the puck away for 3-on-1 goals (Copp to Kotkaniemi), giving the puck away for power play goals (Morrissey to Suzuki), and giving the puck away for breakaway goals (Pionk to Toffoli.)

It is a good game that is also very bad.

— Murat Ates (@WPGMurat) March 16, 2021

Montreal is not an easy “out” when playing on the road and lately, they have found ways to stay in games. Winnipeg shoots themselves in the foot often with their team’s defensive lapses. If Carey Price makes a few saves early and Montreal figures out how to cover Kyle Connor, Montreal could win another game in Winnipeg on Wednesday, March 17th.

Pick: Montreal Canadiens (-118)