Canadiens vs. Stars Recap: Montreal Total and Robertson Shots Cash

The Canadiens beat the Stars 5-2, and the game was mostly settled in the 1st period. Cole Caufield opened the scoring at 7:24, Wyatt Johnston tied it on a Dallas power play at 12:53, and then Montreal scored twice in 27 seconds: Alex Newhook at 16:05 and Caufield again at 16:32. Newhook added his second at 6:11 of the 2nd for a 4-1 lead. Jamie Benn cut it to 4-2 at 8:52 of the 2nd, but Dallas never got closer, and Phillip Danault sealed it with an empty-netter at 19:12 of the 3rd. Shots on goal were close at 21-19 for Montreal. Jakub Dobes made 17 saves on 19 shots, while Jake Oettinger stopped 16 of 20. Two DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

ALT: Jason Robertson 3+ shots on goal (-178 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Robertson had cleared 3+ shots on goal in 9 of his last 10 games and 15 of his last 20. The best price of -178 implied about 64%, and his recent form pointed closer to 78%. - What happened: Robertson finished with 0 goals, 0 assists and 4 shots on goal in 21:32 of ice time, including 4:54 on the power play. That is 1.5 shots over the 2.5 line. His first shot came 26 seconds into the game, and his third, the one that cleared the line, came at 14:03 of the 2nd. He led Dallas in shots on a night the Stars managed only 19 as a team. - Worth watching: The volume held in a game with only 40 total shots on goal, and nearly five minutes of power-play time gives him a steady floor. At a price near -178, the angle is worth another look when that PP role stays the same.

ALT: Canadiens over 1.5 team goals (-320 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Montreal had scored 2+ goals in 9 of its last 10 games and 11 of 12 this season, including all three games since Suzuki went out. The main team total was 2.5, so this alt sat a full goal lower. Dobes was confirmed for Montreal and Oettinger was projected for Dallas. - What happened: Montreal scored 5, which is 3.5 goals over the line. The second goal, Newhook's backhand at 16:05 of the 1st, cleared it before the first intermission. Four of the five came at even strength, and the fifth was the empty-netter. - Worth watching: Montreal did this without a power-play goal on four chances, so all of the work came at even strength or into the empty net. At -320 the price is steep, so this one fits best as a parlay leg rather than a standalone bet.

How the game played out

The swing was the late 1st, when Montreal turned a 1-1 game into 3-1 in 27 seconds. Dallas won 64.3% of the faceoffs and scored once on three power-play chances, but Dobes did not allow another goal after Benn's. Oettinger was pulled late, and Danault scored into the empty net at 19:12.

Trends to watch

• Robertson's 4:54 of power-play time matched Mikko Rantanen for the most among Dallas forwards. Miro Heiskanen logged 29:47, the most of any skater in the game.
• Montreal's even-strength scoring carried the night. Caufield and Newhook each scored twice, and Noah Dobson had two assists.
• Both goalies saw light work. Dobes faced 19 shots and Oettinger faced 20, so shot volume stayed low on both sides.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. For more, see tonight's NHL board, read up on alt lines, and check how implied probability works.