The Montreal Canadiens head south to face the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at the Lenovo Center on Thursday, May 21.
My top Canadiens vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks expect Montreal starter Jakub Dubes to face all kinds of rubber from Carolina in the series opener.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 1 prediction
Canadiens vs Hurricanes best bet: Jakub Dobes Over 28.5 saves (-105)
Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes sports a solid .910 save percentage with 12.17 goals saved above expected across his 14 postseason starts, and he’s about to be busier than ever in Game 1.
The Carolina Hurricanes have recorded a playoff-high 30.9 shots per 60 minutes at five-on-five while ranking second in Corsi For percentage, and they also finished the regular season with the second-most shots per game (32.2) and highest CF% at 5-on-5.
So, with Montreal finishing 23rd in CF% at 5-on-5 during the regular season and now sitting 13th in the metric among the 16 postseason teams, Dobes is set to face more than enough rubber to record 29 or more saves in the series opener.
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Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 1 same-game parlay
Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky has been limited to a single goal across his past 13 games despite racking up a team-high 5.64 expected goals, 41 scoring chances and 20 high-danger chances, so he’s a ripe candidate to break through with a goal in Game 1.
Montreal linemates Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook tilted the ice in their favor in Round 2 with a 58.2% shot rate at 5-on-5 while combining for 37 shots. Additionally, Demidov recorded two or more in four of seven games, and Newhook had at least two shots six times.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes SGP
- Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 goals
- Ivan Demidov Over 1.5 shots
- Alex Newhook Over 1.5 shots
Canadiens vs Hurricanes odds for Game 1
- Moneyline: Canadiens +160 | Hurricanes -190
- Puck Line: Canadiens +1.5 (-150) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+130)
- Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-135) | Under 5.5 +115
Canadiens vs Hurricanes trend
The Carolina Hurricanes have won 20 of their last 25 games (+14.40 Units / 37% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Hurricanes.
How to watch Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 1
| Location | Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC |
| Date | Thursday, May 21, 2026 |
| Puck drop | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT, Sportsnet |
Canadiens vs Hurricanes latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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