Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes Odds, Picks & Predictions - Game 5 - 05/29

In the lone game on the docket, the Montreal Canadiens are on the road as they travel to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series Friday night and we have you covered with our Canadiens vs. Hurricanes prediction. Game 1 of the series went to the visitors as the Canadiens rolled to a 6-2 triumph last Thursday night, drawing first blood in the series.

Carolina rebounded with a 3-2 overtime win at home in Game 2 Saturday night to square the series. In Game 3, the Hurricanes again prevailed 3-2 in overtime, this time on the road, Monday night. That was followed by a 4-0 Carolina road win in Game 4 Wednesday night.

Will Montreal find a way to extend their season or can the Hurricanes advance to the Stanley Cup Finals? Let’s break down this Canadiens vs. Hurricanes matchup.

Canadiens Seeking to Stave Off Elimination

Montreal took Game 1 of this series but outside of that contest, struggled to keep up with Carolina. The Canadiens have scored as many goals in Games 2 through 4 combined (four) as they had in the opening 20 minutes of Game 1. Now, they need three straight wins or their season is over.

In Game 4, Montreal’s inability to generate much in the way of high pressure offensive situations proved to be their undoing once again. The Canadiens faced a 12-5 shot disparity in the opening stanza and more damning, a 3-0 deficit on the scoreboard after 20 minutes of play. In the second period, Montreal was on the wrong end of a 12-10 shot margin with net, though neither team scored. That kept the score 3-0 at the second intermission. The third period saw the Canadiens outshot 20-3 and outscored 1-0, winding up with the loss.

Jakub Dobes made 39 saves for Montreal, who was outshot 43-18, in the loss. Dobes (9-9-0, 2.53 GAA, .912 save percentage) projects to be between the pipes here.

Hurricanes Try to Roll to Stanley Cup Finals

Carolina sputtered in Game 1 but regained their footing since that point. Three straight wins have the Hurricanes on the brink of a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. They look to finish the job on home ice here while avoiding a trip back to Montreal.

In Game 4, Carolina’s aggressive, relentless forecheck wore down Montreal and delivered a win for the visitors. The Hurricanes owned a 12-5 advantage in shots in the opening period and skated off with a 3-0 edge on the scoreboard. Sebastian Aho opened the scoring with a power play goal, his fourth of the playoffs, at 14:59. Nikolaj Ehlers and Shayne Gostisbehere drew assists on the goal. Only 68 seconds later, Jordan Staal’s second goal of the postseason at 16:07 doubled Carolina’s lead. K’Andre Miller and Ehlers drew the assists. Logan Stankoven made it 3-0 with his eighth goal of the playoffs at 17:46. Jackson Blake and Gostisbehere drew assists on that marker.

The second period saw Carolina hold a 12-10 advantage in shots with neither team denting the twine. That kept it a 3-0 score at the second intermission. Carolina dominated the final period, outshooting Montreal 20-3, while scoring the lone goal to secure the win. Andrei Svechnikov closed the scoring with his third goal of the playoffs, into an empty net, at 18:06. Jalen Chatfield drew the lone assist. Frederik Andersen made 18 stops for Carolina, who owned a 43-18 advantage in shots, in the shutout win. Andersen (11-1-0, 1.44 GAA, .928 save percentage, three SO) projects as the starter in net again here.

Stats to Know

Montreal is:

• 9th in the league in the postseason in scoring offense (2.94 goals per game)
• 7th in goals against (2.78 goals per game)
• 5th in power play success (23.3%)
• 12th in penalty killing (77.9%)

Carolina is:

• Tied for 7th in the league in the postseason in scoring offense (3.00 goals per game)
• 1st in goals against (1.67)
• 13th in power play success (11.8%)
• 2nd in penalty killing (93.8%)

Canadiens vs. Hurricanes Prediction

Montreal won the opener as Carolina struggled shaking off the rust from nearly two weeks off. Since that point, they’ve been beaten soundly. The Canadiens are 7-3 on the road in the postseason compared to 2-6 at the Bell Center. Montreal has been outshot 136-65 in the series, only cracking the 20-shot mark in the opener. The Canadiens just look worn down at this point and they don’t seem to have anything left in the tank. Carolina scored first in all four games in the series. That extends to five games here and the Hurricanes close the series out here, advancing to the Finals.

Our Prediction: Hurricanes -1.5 (DraftKings, +114)

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