Canadiens vs Hurricanes Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 Picks

The Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes are set for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night. Puck drop is slated for 8:10 PM ET at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh.

The Hurricanes breezed through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to reach the conference finals. In fact, Carolina is the first team in NHL history to sweep back-to-back best-of-seven series in the playoffs. On the other side, the Canadiens defeated both the Lightning and Sabres in seven games, and Alex Newhook potted both of Montreal’s Game 7 overtime goals. 

With a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line, this series should be full of fireworks from start to finish. Game 1 sets the tone. 

Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 1 predictions

• Pick #1: Montreal Canadiens +1.5 vs Carolina Hurricanes (-155)
• Pick #2: Under 5.5 (+114)
• Pick #3: Andrei Svechnikov anytime goalscorer (+205)

Pick #1: Canadiens +1.5 vs Hurricanes (-155)

The Hurricanes have been a dominating force in the playoffs, but it will still be interesting to see how they begin this contest. That’s because Carolina has not played since May 9 in Game 4 against Philadelphia. On one hand, that gives them almost two weeks of rest before the conference finals, but on the other hand, it could cause some rust to be evident early on as they get back into the swing of things. 

If Carolina is slow out of the gate, Montreal is more than capable of taking advantage. The Canadiens are playing with plenty of confidence after their second Game 7 overtime win this postseason, and they are extremely battle-tested heading into this series.

Furthermore, Montreal’s confidence should be boosted by the fact that they went a perfect 3-0 against Carolina in the regular season. The Canadiens won all of those games by multiple goals with a combined score of 15-8. 

The Canadiens pose several challenges to the Hurricanes in this series. Montreal is faster, more efficient offensively, and better in net than Carolina’s first two postseason opponents. They also possess a high-flying power play that is operating at a strong 25% clip in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Carolina’s power play percentage sits at a modest 13.5%. 

The Hurricanes are heavy favorites for a reason, but there’s enough of a proven track record there for the Canadiens to hang around and make this one interesting. Look to the Canadiens +1.5 on the puck line and consider a small wager on the moneyline with odds of +170 or better.

Pick #2: Under 5.5 (+114)

During the regular season, two of the three meetings between Montreal and Carolina went over the total. An average of 7.7 goals per game were scored in those contests, but this meeting should be different.

Generally speaking, postseason hockey tends to be more physical and defensive-focused. In Game 1 of this series, look for both teams to put a heavy emphasis on maintaining their defensive structure and preventing high-danger chances. 

Furthermore, it helps that both goaltenders have been absolutely locked in so far in the playoffs. Montreal’s Jakub Dobes has shown he isn’t phased by the bright lights and owns a strong .910 save percentage in the postseason. On the other side, Carolina’s Frederik Andersen has been lights out with a stellar 1.12 goals-against average to go along with a sensational .950 save percentage. Look to the under in this one.

Pick #3: Andrei Svechnikov (CAR) anytime goalscorer (+205)

During the regular season, Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov potted a career-high 31 goals, and to go along with a career-best shooting percentage of 15.3% over the course of 79 games. The Hurricanes have scored 24 goals through eight postseason games thus far, but just one of those goals has been scored by Svechnikov. 

The 26-year-old forward is still seeing plenty of chances, as he’s fired 26 shots on goal, which is good for 2nd on the team. Furthermore, he is the only player on the Hurricanes to put more than 15 shots on goal and not have multiple goals to his name this postseason. As he continues to see top-line minutes alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, as well as time on the first power play unit, Svechnikov figures to continue seeing his fair share of scoring chances. With that in mind, it seems to be just a matter of time before he gets going and lights the lamp again.