Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes Game 2 Prediction, NHL Playoff Odds

The Montreal Canadiens already have stolen home-ice advantage from top-seeded Carolina in the Eastern Conference Finals entering Saturday night’s Game 2 from Raleigh. The Hurricanes are -205 favourites on the NHL odds with a total of 5.5 goals.

Canadiens vs. Hurricanes NHL Betting Odds

No team has ever finished 16-0 in the modern Stanley Cup playoffs and that won’t happen this year, either. Carolina had been 8-0 entering Thursday’s opener of the Eastern Conference Finals against Montreal but was upset 6-2. The Hurricanes fell one victory shy of tying the NHL record for most wins to open a postseason set by the 1985 Edmonton Oilers (9-0).

Each team had a goal in the first minute, and it marked only the third game in postseason history where both clubs had opening-minute goals. The others were Game 6 of the 2023 second round between Vegas and Edmonton, and Game 2 of the 1993 division finals between Vancouver and Los Angeles.

Game 1 winners in a best-of-7 an all-time series record of 545-254, including a 170-127 mark when starting as the road team. Game 1 winners are 10-2 in series’ in the 2026 playoffs. Carolina had been -275 on the series line entering the opener and Montreal +225 even though it won all three regular-season meetings. Now the Hurricanes are -120 and Canadiens +100. The over-under is 5.5 games and I still lean over, which is now priced -240 (was -160 entering Game 1). Carolina in seven is the +320 favourite, and that’s where I’m now leaning. Montreal sweeping is +1000.

Montreal Canadiens

I projected Montreal to lose Game 1 by a score of 4-2, but the Habs’ six goals scored in the four-goal victory were by far the most allowed by the Hurricanes in these playoffs. The Canadiens scored four times in the first period. In fact, their four goals in the opening 11:32 marked their second-quickest time to four from the start of a playoff game after Game 1 of the 1958 semifinals.

Juraj Slafkovksy had an assist in the first and two third-period goals to be named the No. 1 star. Nick Suzuki had three assists to extend his postseason-opening road point streak to a team-record nine straight games. He’s the fifth player with a run that long away. The record is 10 by Joe Sakic in 1996 and by Mark Messier in 1994. Suzuki’s 14 road points are a single-postseason record for Montreal, which snapped an opponent’s playoff winning streak of eight-plus contests for the second time in franchise history.

Jakub Dobes made 25 saves to stay unbeaten vs. Carolina this season. He is the fourth rookie goaltender in franchise history with nine or more wins during a playoff year. The team record is 15 by Patrick Roy in 1986. Montreal has won four straight road playoff games for the second time in 30 years (2021).

Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina had given up just 10 total goals in starting the playoffs 8-0, but former Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen just didn’t have it Thursday, perhaps rusty from having 11 days off. Andersen stopped only 16 of 21 shots but there should be no goalie change for Game 2. If he struggles again, then maybe rookie Brandon Bussi, who was so good during the year, gets a chance.

Andersen was trying to become the second goaltender in Stanley Cup playoff history to record three Game 1 shutouts in a single postseason. That will have to wait until the Stanley Cup Finals should the Hurricanes get there.

Seth Jarvis (second of these playoffs) and Eric Robinson (first) had the goals. It’s not that the Canes played poorly overall as they outshot the Canadiens 28-22 and outhit them 44-18. Both teams killed off two power plays. But one major difference was Montreal blocking 29 shots and Carolina only 12.