Canadiens Edge Senators 3-2, But DarkHorse Backers Cash the Puck Line

Montreal squeaked past Ottawa 3-2 at home Thursday night, but anyone who tailed DarkHorse's Senators +1.5 walked away smiling—because a one-goal game was exactly the script we called. The Canadiens never found the separation to justify laying the lumber, and that unknown quantity in net, Alexis Cournoyer, didn't exactly inspire confidence in a blowout. Ottawa's Samuel Ersson lived down to his .870 billing, leaking three, but the Senators kept it close enough to make the puck line a winner.

This one unfolded as a scrappy, low-event affair—neither team could generate the offensive surge needed to blow it open. Montreal grabbed the lead and held on by their fingernails, but the Senators clawed back twice and kept it within striking distance until the final horn. That's the beauty of backing +1.5 in a league where favorites cover the spread less than half the time: you don't need the upset, just competitive hockey.

The math was always on our side. Puck-line favorites hit south of 47 percent, and with two mirror-image offenses and shaky goaltending on both sides, a tight game was the likeliest outcome. Canadiens fans got the two points, but DarkHorse subscribers got the payout. That's a win in our book.