Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 3/23/2023

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Where to watch: NESN, TSN2, RDS

DraftKings: Bruins -410, Canadiens +330

BetMGM: Bruins -410, Canadiens +330

Caesars: Bruins -410, Canadiens +330

Canadiens: 28-37-6

Bruins: 54-11-5

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The Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins will renew their historic rivalry on March 23, 2023, in what promises to be a highly anticipated matchup between two Original Six teams. Both teams are in the thick of a competitive playoff race in the Atlantic Division, making this game all the more important.

The Canadiens have been playing some strong hockey of late, winning four of their last five games heading into this matchup. They are led by their dynamic forward duo of Nick Suzuki and Jonathan Drouin, who have been putting up points at a consistent clip all season long.

The Bruins, meanwhile, have been dealing with a number of injuries to key players, including Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Despite this, they have managed to remain competitive and are currently sitting just outside of a playoff spot. The Bruins will be looking to their star winger, David Pastrnak, to provide some much-needed scoring in this matchup, as well as their veteran goaltender, Linus Ullmark, who has been solid between the pipes all season long.

One key matchup to watch in this game will be between the two teams' power plays. The Canadiens have been deadly on the man advantage this season, ranking in the top ten in the league with a success rate of over 25%. The Bruins, on the other hand, have struggled on the power play, ranking near the bottom of the league with a success rate of just over 16%. The Bruins will need to find a way to generate some offense on the power play if they hope to keep up with the high-scoring Canadiens.

Another important factor to watch in this game will be the physicality of both teams. The Canadiens and Bruins have a long history of playing a physical brand of hockey, and fans can expect plenty of hits and scrums in this matchup. The Canadiens will need to be disciplined and avoid taking unnecessary penalties, as the Bruins boast a strong penalty kill that has been among the best in the league all season long.

Overall, this game has all the makings of a classic matchup between two bitter rivals fighting for a playoff spot in a competitive division. The Canadiens will be looking to continue their strong play and gain some much-needed ground in the standings, while the Bruins will be hoping to get back on track and keep their playoff hopes alive. Fans can expect plenty of excitement and drama from this matchup, as both teams leave it all on the ice in pursuit of a crucial two points.

Prediction

Bruins 4, Canadiens 1

Canadiens:

Rafael Harvey-Pinard -- Nick Suzuki -- Kirby Dach

Denis Gurianov -- Jonathan Drouin -- Josh Anderson

Mike Hoffman -- Alex Belzile -- Brendan Gallagher

Michael Pezzetta -- Chris Tierney -- Rem Pitlick

Mike Matheson -- David Savard

Joel Edmundson -- Justin Barron

Johnathan Kovacevic -- Chris Wideman

Jake Allen

Bruins:

Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- Jake DeBrusk

Pavel Zacha -- David Krejci -- David Pastrnak

Tyler Bertuzzi -- Charlie Coyle -- Trent Frederic

Jakub Lauko -- Tomas Nosek -- Garnet Hathaway

Matt Grzelcyk -- Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm -- Brandon Carlo

Dmitry Orlov -- Connor Clifton

Jeremy Swayman