Two of the best teams in the league and at home in the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes welcome two not-so-good road teams tonight in the Montreal Canadiens and the Dallas Stars in what should be one-sided affairs.
Florida Panthers (-275) vs Montreal Canadiens (+225)
The Panthers are one of the most dangerous teams at home and have been a force all season scoring goals. Their team just got better and is higher-powered after the trade deadline in which they acquired Claude Giroux, Ben Chiarot, and Robert Hagg to an already stacked team.
This is their first game since Friday and therefore their first since the trade deadline. Look for their new acquisitions to make a mark and for them to steamroll the Canadiens. The Canadiens have kept games close but have also lost three of the past four and are still one of the NHL’s bottom teams.
They can score goals now under the new coaching and the Panthers aren’t the best at keeping pucks out of their net, so look to jump on the over in this one as well (O6.5, -110).
Carolina Hurricanes (-225) vs Dallas Stars (+180)
Jake Oettinger has to be getting worn out at this point, and that won’t do him or the Stars any good when they are now in a position to make the playoffs. He has started 19 of the last 21 games while Brayden Holtby has been injured and Oettinger has been playing good hockey.
The Stars had some ground to make up and have to continue playing at a high level if they want to stay in front of the Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets in the playoff race. As we know, anything can happen once they get there.
The Hurricanes snapped their four-game losing streak with a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning and their schedule doesn’t get much easier anytime soon. But as the better team and the leader of their division, they will be looking to play well once again and hold their spot. A huge thing to look for in this one is the Hurricanes’ record at home (24-5-3) vs the Stars’ record on the road (14-16-2). Take the Hurricanes in this one and go with the under (U6, -120); both teams have great goaltending and lower-powered offence.
Odds via Yahoo and BetMGM.