Published May 22, 4:14am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated May 22, 4:14am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated May 22, 4:14am ET
Game 2 in the Eastern Conference Finals is set for PNC Arena on May 23, as the Carolina Hurricanes will be looking to bounce back following a blowout loss against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Saturday’s clash will present a unique opportunity for the Habs, as a second shock victory would put them within two wins of a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals.
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|---|---|
| Hurricanes | -202 |
| Canadiens | +176 |
The Carolina Hurricanes had enjoyed a reliable postseason campaign before the start of the Eastern Conference Finals, winning back-to-back series against the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers without dropping a game. However, for the first time in the playoffs, they will have questions to answer on Saturday following a 6-2 humbling at PNC Arena on Thursday.
Eric Robinson and Seth Jarvis scored the only goals in reply, but the game looked out of reach following the opening period. It was a night to forget in the Canes goal for Frederik Andersen, who conceded five goals from just 21 shots.
Any questions surrounding the fatigue that the Habs would have been feeling were routinely answered in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Habs had been forced to Game 7s in each of the last two rounds by the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres, but unexpectedly, they looked the fresher of the two teams in Game One.
Montreal scored four times in the opening frame, before adding two further efforts in the final period against the Hurricanes. Juraj Slafvosky was in excellent form, scoring twice and recording one assist. Meanwhile, Nick Suzuki ended the night with three assists.
| TOTAL | Hurricanes | Canadiens | DRAWS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reguation WINS | 260 | 101 | 139 | - |
| GOALS | 1631 | 743 | 888 |
Nothing went to plan for the Canes in Game 1, and a strong response will be expected on Saturday. We expect them to bounce back to their best form to level the series ahead of Game 3 in Montreal early next week.
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Pick
Carolina Hurricanes (-202)
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