We’re down to four teams in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. After a dramatic Game 7 win over the Buffalo Sabres, the Montreal Canadiens advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Their reward is facing a Carolina Hurricanes team coming off back-to-back sweeps in the first two rounds. This one is going to be electric.

The Hurricanes are strong favorites to win the series at -275 on the DraftKings Sportsbook.

Let’s dig into a prediction, pick, and best bet for this rivalry series.

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Hurricanes vs. Canadiens series preview

Carolina Hurricanes

Typically, defense doesn’t get the headlines in hockey. A gorgeous forecheck and strong line play aren’t highlight reel material. That may explain why the Hurricanes’ 8-0 start in these playoffs has somehow gone unheralded.

Carolina has allowed only 10 goals in their eight playoff wins. It’s an incredible shutdown performance from their defense. Frederik Andersen, at the ripe age of 36, leads the playoffs in save percentage (.950), goals allowed on average (1.12), and shutouts (2). That gives them an unbelievably high floor on a game-to-game basis if they can keep up this level of defense.

The scary thing about these Hurricanes is that their offense hasn’t taken off quite yet. Their top three scorers on the season—Sebastian Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Andrei Svechnikov—combined for only 11 points in the first three rounds. It was contributions from players like Logan Stankoven (seven goals), Taylor Hall (12 points), and young Jackson Blake (11 points) that kept the offense going. Those players are quite talented in their own right, and it’s not as if they are playing wildly out of their depth. It’s just a further sign that we may not have even seen the best of these ‘Canes yet.

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Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens have had the opposite experience of the Hurricanes in these playoffs. They needed seven games to beat the higher-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning, winning a miracle road Game 7 with only nine shots on goal. The Habs followed that up with another seven-gamer against another Atlantic Division rival, taking down the Sabres in Game 7 on the road in overtime. Alex Newhook got to play the hero in this one.

For Montreal, it’s been about the offense and timely goaltending once again. Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, and Cole Caufield have all done their jobs offensively in this series. Their depth players have provided just enough secondary scoring and defense. Young Jakub Dobes has stood on his head between the pipes in big moments, providing them with huge wins.

Carolina is the big favorite in this series for a reason. But there are no guarantees in playoff hockey. Montreal has the offensive stars to pressure the Hurricanes’ excellent defense. They’re also a solid defensive team on a good run of play, and as previously mentioned, Carolina’s stars have been a bit slow through the first two rounds. Cracks are there, and cracks can always be exploited.

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Hurricanes vs. Canadiens Eastern Conference Finals prediction, pick

I’m having a hard time with this one. At this stage of the playoffs, it’s unusual for one team to be such a big favorite. The Canadiens, who finished fourth overall in the Eastern Conference, have already knocked off the second and third overall seeds. Who’s to say they can’t complete the trio?

But this Hurricanes defense is on another level. That kind of floor makes their odds impossible to ignore. I’m going with the series spread here to add a bit more value to betting on the ‘Canes to make their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years.

Best Bet: Carolina Hurricanes Series Spread -1.5 Games (-135)