Winnipeg Jets vs Montréal Canadiens prediction: Fowler's hot hand faces a Jets team carrying nine straight losses into Montreal

A slide with no floor yet

The Jets arrive in Montreal having lost nine straight, the latest a 0-7 beating at Carolina on Sunday. At 4-8-3, the team that traded Connor Hellebuyck to New Jersey is still looking for a goalie who can steady things, and the job is open to all three netminders on the roster. Coach Scott Arniel said his job security is "not on my mind."

Montreal sits at the other end of the standings mood. The Canadiens have won five in a row, the last a 5-4 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday, and they have three days of rest against Winnipeg's two. They also won all three meetings over the last two seasons, including a 2-1 decision at the Heritage Classic in Winnipeg on Oct. 25.

The gap in the crease

This game turns on goaltending. Fowler is the probable starter for Montreal, though no team confirmation has come. He has a .932 save percentage and a 1.84 goals-against average across eight games, and he was the story of that outdoor win.

Skinner is expected to go for Winnipeg, but he is not confirmed. His .887 save percentage and 3.36 goals-against average explain why the crease is up for grabs. Nico Daws, the backup who came over from the Devils, posted an .886 save percentage in six games for New Jersey this season.

The Jets need saves because they can't score. They rank 30th in goals per game at 2.27 and dead last in shooting percentage (goals per shot) at 8.6%. Kyle Connor carries the attack almost alone with 11 goals. Against a goalie in Fowler's form, Winnipeg needs Connor at his best just to stay close. Eight games is a small sample for any goalie, but this gap is wide enough to matter.

Special teams: two broken units

Montreal owns the league's worst power play at 9.5% (power-play goals per opportunity), ranked 32nd. This is the night it could turn, because Winnipeg's penalty kill stops only 70.5% of opponents' chances, 24th in the league.

The Canadiens give back chances of their own. They are shorthanded 3.93 times per game, 30th of 32, and Winnipeg's power play is a middling 24th. A game with plenty of whistles helps the Jets more than a clean one does.

The first period also leans Montreal's way. The Canadiens rank 5th in first-period goals, while Winnipeg ranks 32nd in first-period scoring.

Who's in, who's close

Nick Suzuki practiced as a full participant Monday on the top line with Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, but Montreal has not cleared him for game action. He had 12 points in nine games before the upper-body injury. Mike Matheson is out about two weeks, Kirby Dach missed practice with an illness and is day-to-day, and Ivan Demidov remains on injured reserve.

For Winnipeg, Josh Morrissey skated in a non-contact practice Monday and is unlikely for Tuesday. "We'll see where we're getting to for this weekend," Arniel said. Dawson Mercer did not skate Monday after getting nicked up Sunday, and his status was pending Tuesday's morning skate. Cole Koepke took regular rushes Monday and appears in line to return.

What the market is saying

Books have Montreal at -194 and Winnipeg at +160, with the Canadiens laying 1.5 goals on the puck line. That price asks a lot: Montreal is 5-9 on the puck line this season, and two of its last five wins came by a single goal.

The total opened at 5.5 in our feed and has moved to 6.0. Montreal games have gone over nine times in 14, and Winnipeg's last three games all went over as the defense gave up 18 goals. The Jets' season-long lean is still to the under, and their own offense rarely does its share.