Hurricanes should punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals as Canadiens face elimination in Game 5
I was wrong about the last hockey game I had. It was a few days ago, and this same time. Tonight, we have game 5 in the Eastern Conference and the first game of a series where a team can officially reach the Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens extend the streak, or the Hurricanes finally punch their ticket.
You almost feel sorry for the Montreal Canadiens. They took the postseason and had to play every game possible. To their credit they persevered and won the first two series. I made a point about this the other day, but this is now the 19th game the Canadiens will play in the postseason. They don’t have to fight to get into the postseason, but it makes for a tough campaign. It also puts a lot of stress on your mind as you are constantly fighting.
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen and defenseman Brent Burns celebrate at the end of the third period in Game 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals against the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., on May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The good news about Montreal is that they have been in these situations before. They haven’t exactly faced elimination this way, except for two Game 7s. In those previous playoffs, goalkeeper Jakub Dobes was fantastic. Dobes allowed a total of three goals in two hours on the ice. He stopped 65 of 68 shots that came his way. Can he do it again tonight, then two more games if they win?
The Carolina Hurricanes are one game away from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. They looked like the best team in the play-offs, only to lose one game. The loss was bad as they lost 6-2 in the first game of this series. Since then, they have looked like normal people, winning the last three games. Their first two wins came in extra time by identical 3-2 scores. In the last match, they managed to win 4-0, and finally reached Dobes.
The NHL betting outlook focuses on the two more familiar teams in Game 4, ready to score points
Seth Jarvis (right) and the Carolina Hurricanes currently lead the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Final. (Photos by Eric Bolte-Imagn)
The Hurricanes are heavy favorites tonight to close out the series. They have three chances to make the finals, so if they fail tonight, it won’t be the end of the world, but the pressure is on them to do it. The team is on the brink of something they haven’t done with this team. The team will continue to ride on Frederik Andersen, who is playing much better after that first game. The Hurricanes’ defense deserves a lot of credit, though, as they only allowed Andersen 64 shots in the series.
I’m not sure the Canadiens offense can attack this Carolina defense. During the regular season, the team averaged 26.3 shots per game. That’s not a ton, but Carolina’s defense held them to just 16 shots per game, down from the 23.9 they allowed their opponents in the regular season.
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Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes watches during the first period of an NHL game against the Minnesota Wild in St. Louis. Paul, Minn., on Feb. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Hockey is not a game where a team just gives up. These games were competitive, but I think Andersen and the Hurricanes defense are locked in right now. I don’t expect the Canadiens to win, and I think this could be a low-scoring game. Specifically, I’ll take the Canadiens to come in under their 2.5 team value.
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