St. Louis Blues vs Montreal Canadiens 28 October 2026 Prediction

St. Louis and Montreal are in similar positions. Both teams are trying to move back into a playoff spot in their respective conferences. Blues fans have grown accustomed to seeing their team this low in the standings, while the Canadiens have regularly competed for a top-five place in the East in recent years. Montreal has also struggled to pick up points in this matchup.

St. Louis Struggled Against Top Teams

St. Louis has lost three of its last five games, but that stretch included several difficult opponents. Jim Montgomery’s team fell to Minnesota, one of the leading teams in the Western Conference, 5-4, and lost 4-0 to defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina.

The Blues did manage to beat Vegas, one of the main contenders in the West. St. Louis lost the expected goals battle 3.4 to 2.8 but converted its chances more efficiently. Pavel Buchnevich scored on the power play, while Dylan Holloway finished with two goals.

St. Louis Predicted Lineup: Hofer (Binnington); Broberg, Barron; Holloway, Thomas, Snuggerud

Full Roster: defensemen: Jiricek, Parayko, Fowler, Carlo; forwards: McMichael, McTavish, Berggren, Neighbours, Dvorsky, Buchnevich, Kaskimaki, Suter, Stenberg

Unavailable: Mailloux, Tucker, Toropchenko, Dube (all injured); Johnston (questionable)

Manager: Jim Montgomery

Montreal Has Found Its Form

After a slow start to the regular season, Martin St. Louis’ team has begun to collect points consistently. Montreal earned at least one point in six of its last eight games. The Canadiens recorded two losses during that stretch, but Washington was the only team to leave them without a point, winning 5-4.

Montreal also lost 4-3 in overtime to an inconsistent San Jose team. The Canadiens led by two goals in the third period and held a 3.5 to 2.9 advantage in expected goals. However, penalties proved costly, with the Sharks scoring the winner on the power play.

Montreal Predicted Lineup: Dobes (Fowler); Hutson, Matheson; Caufield, Kapanen, Slafkovsky

Full Roster: defensemen: Carrier, Guhle, A. Xhekaj, Dobson; forwards: Kreider, Newhook, Anderson, Bolduc, Danault, Texier, Dach, Evans, F. Xhekaj

Unavailable: Demidov, Montembeault, Suzuki (all injured)

Manager: Martin St. Louis

St. Louis Holds the Head-to-Head Edge

Montreal has lost five of the last six meetings between the teams. The Blues won both games last season. They first earned a 4-3 road victory behind two goals from Brayden Schenn, then recorded a 2-0 win at home. Ryker Thomas scored a short-handed goal in that game.

Key Facts

St. Louis allows opponents to generate 2.9 expected goals per game, one of the 10 best marks in the NHL.

Montreal ranks among the league’s bottom five teams in power-play efficiency at 12.5%.

The Canadiens average five penalties per game. Only Florida commits more.

St. Louis vs Montreal Prediction: St. Louis to Win

Main prediction: St. Louis has played well at home, where Montgomery’s team has beaten Vegas, Winnipeg, and Columbus. Montreal has also lost four of its last five road games against the Blues. The main selection is St. Louis to win at 2.33. The correct-score prediction is 4-3.

Totals prediction: Recent St. Louis games have produced plenty of goals. The Blues and their opponents combined for at least seven goals against Minnesota, Nashville, and Vegas. Montreal has scored 16 regulation goals over its last five games. At least seven goals were recorded in seven of the previous eight head-to-head meetings, so the selection is over 6.5 goals at 2.25.