Detroit vs Montreal Prediction 24 January 2025

🔊 Will the "Red Wings" emerge from their rough patch? Detroit, after Todd McLellan took over as head coach, was invigorated and delivered an impressive winning streak, but the situation quickly reversed. Right now, the team is going through tough times again and is suffering from a series of setbacks. Montreal, on the other hand, has been monstrous since the start of the new calendar year and has suffered only two regulation losses during this period.

📊 Head-to-Head

In the current regular season, the opponents have met twice, and the "Canadiens" didn't leave the "Red Wings" a single chance (4:3, 5:1). The most productive player in those encounters was forward Emil Heineman. The Swede managed to score two goals and provide an assist. However, he is currently injured and will not participate in the upcoming game.

🔴 Detroit

The radical positive effect of Todd McLellan's arrival as head coach of the "Red Wings" has gradually faded. After an impressive streak of successes, the home team has suffered four losses in their last five games, managing to defeat only Florida (5:2). However, this success did not affect the overall extremely negative trend. Detroit's general manager Steve Yzerman is working in Michigan for the last season under his contract, and there are significant reasons to believe that the great former hockey player will not receive an extension.

⚪ Montreal

The team under Martin St. Louis is experiencing a true renaissance. The Canadian club completely failed the first half of the regular season but brilliantly returned to the race at the start of 2025. In their last nine games, the "Canadiens" lost in regulation time only once; in the country's oldest derby, they were unable to stop Toronto's star-studded offense (3:7). In all other cases, the guests consistently earned points. Thanks to this impressive surge, the club managed to find itself in the playoff top eight of the East for the first time in a long while. Now the main task is to maintain this momentum.

🔗 Probable Lineups

Detroit: Lyon - Chiarot, Seider - Kasper, Larkin, Raymond

Montreal: Montembeault - Matheson, Hutson - Slafkovsky, Suzuki, Caufield

🥅 Goalies

Detroit's goaltender Alex Lyon was injured but immediately regained his status as the number one upon returning to action. However, this has not benefited either him or the team. In his last two games, the American managed to keep a save percentage above 90% only once (against Philadelphia), yet even then it did not help his club secure a long-awaited victory.

Montreal's goalie Samuel Montembeault continues to have clear slumps in his play. The Canadian clearly lacks consistency, but lately, the team has learned to cope without him. For instance, he saved only 88% of Utah's shots on goal, yet the "Canadiens" still managed to succeed (5:3). Nevertheless, he needs to improve if he wants to remain valuable to his renowned club.

📝 Editorial Prediction

The latest crisis of the "Red Wings" is only gaining momentum, so it's hard to believe in their success. Against this backdrop, the current form of the "Canadiens" looks much more impressive. Detroit hasn't won in regulation time for six consecutive matches. The guests, on the other hand, haven't lost within 60 minutes in 8 of their last 9 games. We have no doubt that these trends will continue. The home team has been looking very lackluster lately. We minimize risks and recommend a bet - Montreal will not lose.