While the Carolina Hurricanes will try to close the gap on Saturday,
the Habs should be able to snap out of it with a good effort at home.
The Montreal Canadiens have slipped down the totem pole
in the Eastern conference and they are now just one point away from slipping
into seventh or four points away from trading places with the eighth-place
Carolina Hurricanes.
The Carolina
Hurricanes Can Win Because…:
The Montreal Canadiens have lost their rhythm. The Canadiens have
lost seven of their last nine games and they have a losing home record against
Carolina going 14-20 in the last 34 meetings, so breaking out of that slump
while away is going to be even tougher.
There has been a lot of pressure on the Hurricanes not to
slip up as they are the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference but when you take
a look at the standings, they can pull within two points of the Canadiens with
a win on Saturday.
And this is the perfect matchup for the Hurricanes.
Anyone who has followed Carolina this season can tell you
that they win the games they should win and they tend to struggle against elite
squads. Well the Habs are in the dumps right now and Carolina is more than
capable of taking advantage.
The Montreal
Canadiens Can Win Because…:
The Carolina Hurricanes will be without their captain and leader,
Eric Staal.
Staal, who is also the Hurricanes best offensive weapon,
was dazed and confused after a hit by Matt Niskanen and he has already been
ruled out with injury for Saturday’s contest against Montreal. The Canadiens, who are
really struggling right now, can take any break they can get.
The Habs should have Carey Price in net and he has fared
well against Carolina. He’s 3-1-0 against them in his last four starts with a
GAA of 1.97. He was given a partial day off on Thursday as Alex Auld got the
start but Auld was quickly pulled after he gave up three goals.
Considering his numbers against Carolina and Cam Ward’s
against Montreal, the Habs should have a big edge in net for this contest.
Ward has really struggled against the Canadiens this
season. He’s 0-2-0 with a GAA of 4.44. Throw in the fact that the Hurricanes
have lost eight of their last 10 on the road and four of their last five at the
Bell Centre, there’s a good chance the Habs bounce-back on Saturday.
Outlook & NHL
Betting Prediction:
Both teams could really use a win but the Canadiens will
feel the urgency a little bit more. They are at home, where they typically play
well, and the Hurricanes are on the road, where they have lost eight of their
last 10.
The Canadiens have fared well in this series recently at
home and when you throw in the fact that Ward hasn’t played well against the
Canadiens this year and Price has done well against Carolina in recent
contests, today's NHL free pick becomes more evident.
Side with the NHL odds makers and bet the Canadiens at your favorite sportsbook to win and get back on
track.
Pick: