The Eastern Conference Final is evened up at 1-1 and heads north to the Bell Centre for Game 3 between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens tonight.
My top Hurricanes vs. Canadiens predictions and NHL picks feature a trio of Carolina veterans tonight.
Best Hurricanes vs Canadiens props for Game 3
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Frederik Andersen |
Under 2.5 goals against | -110 |
| Nikolaj Ehlers |
Over 2.5 shots | +100 |
| Jordan Staal |
Over 1.5 shots | -105 |
Game 3 Prop #1: Frederik Andersen Under 2.5 goals against (-110)
The Montreal Canadiens have been held to just 3.62 expected goals at 5-on-5 by the Carolina Hurricanes through two games, and 1.46 of those xGF came in the first period of Game 1.
Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen has only faced 21 shots since the opening period of the series opener, too. So, while it’s safe to suggest Andersen hasn’t been razor sharp the past two games, he’s rarely been truly tested.
Plus, Andersen was never going to maintain the .950 SV% he posted through the first two rounds of the playoffs, and I think the pendulum has now swung too far in the opposite direction.
His Round 3 .788 SV% is set to climb in Game 3, and I’d play this prop to -125.
Game 3 Prop #2: Nikolaj Ehlers Over 2.5 shots (+100)
Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers has clicked with linemates Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook for a dominant 70.4 CF% at 5-on-5 through two Round 3 games, and Ehlers has six shots on 11 attempts in the series.
Ehlers has also recorded a high-end 18.8 attempts per 60 minutes this postseason, with his 54 attempts ranking second on the team and resulting in just 20 shots (37%). It’s definitely tougher to register shots during the playoffs, but Ehlers did convert 48.3% of his attempts into shots during the regular season.
I’d back Ehlers for three or more shots to -125 in Game 3.
Game 3 Prop #3: Jordan Staal Over 1.5 shots (-105)
Continuing with the Staal-Ehlers-Martinook line, the Carolina captain has huge statistical correction coming in the shots column. Staal has piled up 11 attempts and six individual high-danger scoring chances without registering a shot in the series, after all.
The veteran center also sports a dominant 60.0 CF% and 58.3% shot share at 5-on-5 during the postseason, and Staal recorded 2+ shots in five of eight games through the first two rounds. I’d recommend this prop to -120.
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