Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes Prediction, NHL Odds
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Edgar Chaput
The Habs began their post All-Star Game break with a trio of victories in front of their fans at the Bell Centre, including over the Oilers. For their part, the Hurricanes are battling to retain first place in the Metropolitan Division.
Caroline is predicted to cook up a storm as they sit at -167 on the puck line as per the NHL odds. The over-under has been calculated at 6 goals.
Canadiens vs. Hurricanes NHL Betting Odds
There remain only two months in the NHL regular season, but Montreal and Carolina have yet to meet on the ice until now. The last time they tangoed was in March of last year when the Canes blanked the Canadiens 4-0. In fact, it was the second time in a row the Raleigh-based ensemble earned itself a 4-0 victory over the representative of La Belle Province. Moreover, the game before that went 4-1 to Carolina. You read correctly. The Habs have scored one goal in three contests versus the Canes.
Martin St. Louis’ men came out of the All-Star break with something to prove. No, the club will most likely not be playing post-season hockey, but pride still counts for something, especially in a hockey town like Montreal. Wins over the Islanders and Oilers were refreshing before the side took care of the Blackhawks most recently. Montreal is 5-4-1 in its last 10, which really isn’t that bad. The much-maligned Jake Allen has looked very good two games in a row as well. Don’t look now, but for a club that’s struggled to generate offence all season, they’ve netter 14 times in three contests.
The Hurricanes have held onto the Central Division lead for quite some time already. With sequences that have them go 8-1-1 in 10 games, they’ll undoubtedly stay at the top. What’s more, they handled business against strict competition, such as the Bruins, Kings, and Capitals. The only defeat, one that surely stung, was 6-2 against the Rangers who are trying to catch up with them.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal played host to the Chicago Blackhawks on Valentine’s Day. The clubs went against the holiday’s loving spirit and put on a showcase of big hits against the boards and some fisticuffs.
The highs of Super Bowl weekend, which saw the Habs beat two superior outfits, took a while to carry over into Tuesday. After a first period power-play goal from Justin Barron (second), both teams went to sleep for a while. Midway through the second frame neither squad had mustered 10 shots on goal. That said, when the third period came around, the hosts were in the mood to finish off their foes in style. The highlight of the night was the second goal, resulting from sweet passing between Christian Dvorak and Jonathan Drouin, who sent a pass across Chicago’s crease for a small window one-timer by Joel Armia (fourth). From there the Habs added two more en route to a comfortable 4-0 victory. Jake Allen wasn’t called into action too often (22 stops) but made some splendid saves to preserve the previous 1-0 advantage through the first two stanzas.
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina’s Valentine’s date was more challenging than Montreal’s. Heading into Washington to play the Capitals was always going to be tough. The divisional rivals know each other well and the Caps are fighting for their playoff lives.
It proved to be a contrast between styles. Carolina played an intelligent, calculated game whereas Washington went for splashy plays. Both goals scored by the hosts were undoubtedly exciting, especially T.J. Oshie’s (11th) first period marker to level the terms 1-1. But the Hurricanes were clever with their attacking attempts, taking advantage of screens and tip-ins. Brent Burns (11th), Paul Stastny (sixth), and Stefan Noesen (10th) all scored for the visitors. None of the goals were especially memorable from a highlight-reel-worthy perspective, but they were efficient. Canes win in enemy territory, 3-2.
