Sleep with one eye open, Carey Price…

On a night during which much of the sports world was focused on NBA betting, something important happened in the hockey betting universe.

Habs backup goalie Jaroslav Halak shut out the hottest team in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks, in what was easily Montreal’s most spirited effort in at least a month. The Habs had serious jump, the Bell Centre was rockin’ and it all started with Halak, who made multiple breakaway saves.

What does it all mean at the sportsbook? Well, given Carey Price’s recent struggles, Guy Carbonneau seems to be giving Halak a full shot at the starting job. He handed the reins over the Price in a snap move a year ago, so would he hesitate to do the same with Halak? It doesn’t seem that way. Halak is slated to keep starting until he loses; so far, that’s two wins in a row for him.

The situation will be much easier to understand a week from now. At the start of the season, the Habs were expected to showcase Halak in hopes of trading him before the deadline, so it’s entirely possible that they’re simply trying to give buyers a good look at him before March 4. Keep an eye on the situation if you bet on hockey, as it could signicantly affect Montreal’s online betting prospects, not to mention Stanley Cup odds, going forward.