Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Blackhawks Picks and Prediction for Saturday, October 11, 2025

Get ready for a nonconference NHL showdown as the Montreal Canadiens, standing in fifth place of the Atlantic Division with a 1-1-0 record, clash with the Central Division’s fifth-place Chicago Blackhawks, who bring a 0-1-1 record into the fray. Set inside the United Center on October 11th at 7:00 PM ET, fans can catch the action live on the NHL Network. This will be the first of two games against one another as they will also play in mid-December. Blue line to crease — NHL picks for Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Blackhawks without the fluff.

Canadiens Ready to Roll

The Montreal Canadiens, playing at a strong level up to begin the season as they are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with a 1-1-0 record, face a team that is playing at a good level early on. Their recent game on the road against the Red Wings, a 5-1 game, reflects a team that was able to jump to an early lead and dominate. Right winger Brendan Gallagher is leading the franchise with three points (zero goals, three assists). The Canadiens are navigating with a fully healthy roster and that will help them get an advantage.

Montreal’s offensive output has been doing well thus far, with the team currently tied for 10th place in the league for goals scored, averaging 3.50 goals per game. The Canadiens’ power play, operating at a 20.0% success rate, and their penalty kill at 83.3%, highlight areas of the game that are good for them so far.

Goaltending is one of the team’s strong suits, with San Montembeault doing a good job this year as he is 0-1-0 with a .880 save percentage and 3.07 goals allowed per game. The defense has played well consistently and Montembeault has shown the ability to play better than he has to begin the season.

Injury Report for Montreal

No injuries to report

Blackhawks Ready for Youth Movement

The Chicago Blackhawks, positioned in fifth place in the Central Division with a 0-1-1 record, head into this game looking to continue picking up points. The latest game against the Boston Bruins on the road in overtime 4-3 was a loss and should give them some hope as they played well to get that point in the standings.

Offensively, Chicago has been doing a decent job at finding the back of the net, averaging 2.50 goals per game, which is tied for 20th. The Blackahawks’ power play has been at a terrible level, failing to score with the man advantage up to this point, leaving some cause for concern. Their defensive game shows they are going to be alright, conceding an average of 3.50 goals against per game, highlighting an area of comfort at this point of the season.

On the goaltending front, goaltender Spencer Knight is going to need to step up in the net for this game and is 0-1-0 with a .919 save percentage and 3.05 goals per game given up right now. As Chicago prepares to host Montreal, it need to focus on getting stops on the defensive side of the ice to get this game close.

Injury Report for Chicago

• Center Jason Dickinson: Undisclosed (Questionable)
• Guard Laurent Brossoit: Hip (OUT)
• Right winger Joey Anderson: Lower Body (OUT)
• Left winger Landon Slaggert: Lower Body (OUT)
• Defenseman Shea Weber: Ankle (OUT)

Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Blackhawks Pick

Spread Pick for Canadiens vs. Blackhawks

• Montreal Canadiens -145 (4 units)

This Montreal Canadiens team looked a lot better following the 4 Nations Face-Off last season, ending 15-5-6 in their final 26 games. They can control the puck to eliminate pressure on the goalie and the team added some talent with guys like Noah Dobson to pair with the reigning Calder Trophy winner. Chicago is still attempting to find a rhythm with coach Jeff Blashill’s first season with the team. Montreal has shown the ability to shut down the top-scoring threat of the opposing team, and taking away Connor Bedard for them will be difficult to overcome. All in all, go with the Montreal Canadiens to record a win.

Over/Under Pick for Canadiens vs. Blackhawks

• Over 5.5 (5 units)

Spencer Knight and Sam Montembault have not gotten off to great starts in their first games of the season, each allowing more than 3.00 goals per game, respectively. Both offenses are scoring at a decent level, but are not attempting anywhere near enough shots, which should improve their scoring numbers with more shots, as Montreal is averaging 24.0 shots per game, while Chicago is down at 21.5 shots per game. The penalty kill units have not been great through two games either, so there are chances for goals to be scored quickly in the man-advantage time. Go with over 5.5 total goals as the better bet here.