Hurricanes vs. Canadiens Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 Picks 

A crucial Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens will take place on Monday night in Montreal. It’s all tied up at 1-1 with this best-of-seven set heading north of the border after the Hurricanes bounced back from their opening loss with a 3-2 overtime victory on Saturday in Carolina.

With puck drop set for 8:00 pm ET on TNT, it’s time to break down the odds and discuss the best bets to make!

Hurricanes vs Canadiens Predictions 

• Pick #1 - Carolina Hurricanes ML over Montreal Canadiens (-130) 
• Pick #2 - Under 5.5 (+110) 
• Pick #3 – Andrei Svechnikov Over 0.5 points (-145) 

PICK #1: Carolina Hurricanes ML over Montreal Canadiens (-130) 

It was not easy, but Carolina managed to seize the momentum in this series before heading to Montreal for the next two contests. The Hurricanes never trailed in Game 2 and got a pair of goals from Nikolaj Ehlers, including the winner in overtime. Ehlers now has four goals in the last five games, dating back to round two against Philadelphia, so the 30-year-old Dane is high on confidence. Even though extra time was needed on Saturday, it was really a borderline dominant performance by the ‘Canes. They more than doubled the opposition in the shots department (26 to 12), delivered more hits by a country mile (46 to 16), and committed fewer penalties (four minutes to six). 

The Hurricanes now take to the road, but this is not a situation that should give them any trouble. They are 4-0 on the road so far in the playoffs, with a combined margin of victory of 13-6, with only one of those contests requiring overtime. That is nothing new for Carolina, which was 24-12-5 away from home during the regular season. The visitors are facing a Canadiens club that is 1-4 at home in the playoffs and lost Game 6 against Buffalo 8-3 in front of its own fans. 

PICK #2: Under 5.5 (+110)

Low-scoring affairs have been the norm for Carolina throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. A four-game series against Ottawa in round one averaged four goals per contest. Against Philadelphia in the conference semis, no match produced more than five goals, and the opener was a 3-0 shutout by the Hurricanes. Game 1 of this series – a 6-2 Montreal victory – was clearly an aberration as opposed to the rule before order was restored on Saturday. 

Frederik Andersen continues to be a force in the net for Carolina. Through 10 playoff outings, Andersen boasts a 1.55 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. For Montreal, Jakub Dobes comes in with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage through 16 playoff games. Dobes has allowed more than three goals only twice in those 16 starts. 

PICK #3: Andrei Svechnikov Over 0.5 points (-145) 

Ehlers may be grabbing the headlines for Carolina, but Svechnikov is quietly contributing. Following a slow start to the playoffs, the Russian has produced at least one point in three of the last six contests – including a goal and an assist in Game 3 at Philadelphia. This matchup with Montreal has been favorable for Svechnikov, who came up with two goals and three assists in three head-to-head showdowns during the regular season. The 26-year-old forward notched an assist in Game against the Canadiens and should be able to find his way back onto the scoresheet.