Habs In Tough VS. Hurricanes Tonight

On Tuesday morning, the Canadiens announced that Jakub Dobes will be the starting netminder against the Hurricanes. This news comes after Jacob Fowler helped the Canadiens get the win on Saturday. Nonetheless, it was Dobes who had an overall better week, as although he went 1-1, he had a 1.95 GAA and a .927 save percentage, being one of the main reasons the Habs even had chances to win the two big games he started. Unfortunately, the 3-1 loss last Thursday was the Habs’ first regulation loss when getting .900 goaltending or better on the season. With that being said, considering the Habs are 27-1-3 on the year when getting at least league average goaltending, Dobes may just need to be good but not necessarily great to get the win.

Although, the last time he played against the Hurricanes, he allowed 5 goals on 25 shots, but he did manage to steal a win given that the Habs’ offence was able to score 7 goals and win an offensive thriller on New Year’s Day. That was the only meeting so far this season between the Habs and Hurricanes. Dobes will likely need to be better tonight if he wants to get the win, as it’s not every night that the Canadiens can light up a hot goalie as they did in the last meeting. On the positive side of things, the Canadiens have won 3 of the last matchups against the Hurricanes, which is a good sign that they can play up to one of the league’s top teams.

The Habs have not yet announced any other lineup changes from Saturday’s game, but stay tuned on the Canadiens’ social media pages, where they will announce any potential changes during Martin St. Louis’s pre-game press conference.

As for the goaltender for the Hurricanes, it will be Frederik Andersen who will be getting the start. Due to Brandon Bussi taking over the starting role, Andersen has been designated as the backup for the Hurricanes this season, where he has struggled with just a .874 save percentage and 3.12 GAA alongside his 13-11-5 record. However, given Bussi’s struggles the last time they played the Habs, it’s no surprise they turn to their veteran backup, who has won 5 straight starts despite a rough .872 save percentage. This means that the Canadiens will likely need to play a game where they must be able to outscore their opponents.

This may be something that can work to the Canadiens’ advantage, as they have beaten the Hurricanes like that before. Historically speaking, Andersen has also been really good against the Habs, with an 8-2 record where he has posted a 1.95 GAA and .926 save percentage in his last 10 games against them. On the other hand, scoring for the Habs is up, and they should be a tough challenge for Andersen tonight.

Given all the facts that Andersen has been struggling in his individual stats but the Hurricanes are winning as well as the last meeting with the Habs winning 7-5, betting the over 6.5 goals seems like a smart wager tonight. Meanwhile, as they are playing the best team in the Eastern Conference, it is no surprise that the Habs are listed as +110 underdogs. However, at the same time, they have had success in head-to-head matchups. It could be a good value bet to take the Habs on the moneyline tonight.

Is there really another player that we should be watching closely other than Cole Caufield, as he’s in pursuit to become the first Habs 50-goal scorer in 36 years? Caufield was named 3rd star of the week by the NHL on Monday, thanks to his 4 goals and 4 assists in 3 games. The line for him to score 1+ goals tonight is set at +140. Will you bet on Caufield to find the back of the net tonight?

What are your predictions for tonight’s matchup between the Hurricanes and Canadiens?