The Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes meet for the eighth time this season when they face off Thursday night in the third game of a three-game series. The Hurricanes have won five of the previous seven meetings and outscored the Blackhawks 11-5 in victories on Monday and Tuesday. The first-place Hurricanes are favored in this one as well.
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The game opened with the Hurricanes as favorites at -264 and the line has moved to between -265 and -300. The total opened at 6 and has stayed at that number with the OVER favored in the -111 to -120 range.
Chicago News & Notes
Whatever glimmer of hope the Blackhawks had of making the playoffs over the last weeks has faded away as they sit 10 points out of fourth place in the Central Division.
The defensive side of the game has been a real letdown for the Blackhawks, who have allowed the most goals in the division this season. Only five teams in the NHL have given up more even-strength goals and only Buffalo has a worse expected goals against (xGA) figure. Chicago also hemorrhages scoring chances. The Hawks have allowed 501 high-danger scoring chances, the most in the league.
The goaltending also fell off a cliff from the beginning of the season. The team may have found its next young goalie in Kevin Lankinen, but the rookie’s numbers have fallen back to earth as he now sports a 16-14-5 record and .908 save percentage after starting out hot.
Carolina News & Notes
The Hurricanes have been dominant this year and while the goaltending for Chicago has struggled, the Hurricanes’ young netminder has been getting better as the season has gone on.
The Canes lost starter Petr Mrazek on January 30 for more than two months, and in his absence, 25-year-old Alex Nedeljkovic has been superlative. Among 45 goalies to play in 20 or more games this year, Nedeljkovic is first with a .932 save percentage and is the only goalie in that group with a goals-against average under two (1.89). He is 15-4-3 on the season.
The Hurricanes have allowed a league-low 77 even-strength goals but are ranked 17th in xGA and 17th in high-danger scoring chances against. Those numbers highlight how good the goaltending has been for a Canes team that hasn’t been great at suppressing chances.
The team is, however, great at creating chances of its own. The Canes are first in the league in expected goals for and first in high-danger chances for.
Betting Pick: OVER 6
We think the Hurricanes will win, but want no part of a line in the -300 range. Instead, we like the OVER as one team has an elite offense and the other might be the worst defensive team in the league. If the Blackhawks can find a couple of goals, the OVER shouldn’t be a problem.
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