The Montreal Canadiens (33-29-9) travel to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes (43-24-4) on Friday, March 28th. This game will be played at Lenovo Center in Raleigh and televised on ESPN+. The Hurricanes are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Canadiens are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Penguins. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Canadiens vs Hurricanes

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a 3-1 loss to the Penguins, the Canadiens now sit at 33-29-9 for the season. Montreal entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, with the total set at 6.5 goals, but the combined 4 goals fell short of that mark.

Montreal’s lone goal came in the third period, after the Penguins had already scored twice. The Penguins added an empty-net goal to seal the win. Christian Dvorak scored for the Canadiens at 14:28 in the third period.

The Carolina Hurricanes Are Coming Off A Win

Carolina improved to 43-24-4 with a 4-2 win over the Capitals. The Hurricanes covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals matched the pre-game line.

Carolina scored first, but the Capitals responded with two goals in the first period. The Hurricanes tied it up in the second period and added two more goals to secure the win, including an empty-netter with 9 seconds left.

Montreal Offense Breakdown

Montreal’s offense struggled in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh, with Christian Dvorak scoring his first goal of the season at 14:28 in the third period. The Canadiens fired 26 shots on goal but failed to convert on any of their 20 giveaways.

Emil Heineman picked up his first assist of the season, while Juraj Slafkovsky added his seventh. The Canadiens were held scoreless until the third period.

Hurricanes Offense Breakdown

Carolina took 45 shots on goal in their 4-2 win over Washington, with Dmitry Orlov netting two goals on three shots. Orlov’s second goal came in the second period, giving him three for the season. Martin Necas added his sixth goal of the year and also picked up two assists, bringing his total to 12.

Carolina’s first goal came from Orlov in the first period, with Necas scoring in the second. Andrei Svechnikov sealed the game with an empty-netter, his sixth goal of the season. The Hurricanes had 14 giveaways in the game.

Montreal Team Defense

The Canadiens’ defense gave up the first two goals of the game, with both coming from Sidney Crosby. The first was at 15:57 in the first period, and the second was a power-play goal at 18:40 in the second. After cutting the deficit to 2-1 in the third, Montreal allowed an empty-net goal with just 45 seconds left. Goalie Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Carolina Team Defense

After allowing two late goals in the first period, Carolina’s defense settled in, shutting out the Capitals in the second and third periods. Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves with a 90.5% save percentage, while the defense added 7 takeaways and 10 hits.

Canadiens vs Hurricanes Trends

• Although Montreal has a straight up record of 0-3 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 1-2. The team averaged 2 goals per game in these games.
• Carolina has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 2. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.
• As the betting underdog, the Hurricanes have an puck line mark of just 7-3 in their last ten games. Carolina posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.
• Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Canadiens have a strong record of 3-2. Their record vs the puck line in these matchups is 0-5.

Canadiens vs Hurricanes Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline bet in this game, our analysis leans towards the Hurricanes picking up the win. However, given the current odds of -293, I’d advise going with the puck line, as our predictions have the Hurricanes coming out on top by more than one goal.

When making a puck line pick, we’re backing the Hurricanes to win and cover. Watch for the Hurricanes to win this game by multiple goals over the Canadiens.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 5.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.