The Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils shift their series for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Sunday afternoon.
New Jersey was bedeviled in the first two games in Raleigh, as the Canes won 5-1 in Game 1, and 6-1 in Game 2. As such, head coach Lindy Ruff will need to make some adjustments before Game 3. The concern for Carolina was that it didn’t have enough scoring, but that certainly wasn’t the case in the first two games — outscoring New Jersey 11-2.
Can the Devils bounce back in front of the home fans and make this a series, or will the Canes continue to blow through the competition, pushing New Jersey to the brink? We’ll discuss in our NHL betting picks for the Hurricanes vs. Devils on Sunday, May 7.
Hurricanes vs Devils Game 3 odds
Hurricanes vs Devils series odds
| Team | To win | Win in 4 | Win in 5 | Win in 6 | Win in 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricanes | -165 | +750 | +400 | +450 | +425 |
| Devils | +145 | N/A | +1,100 | +450 | +450 |
Odds courtesy of bet365 as of May 5
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Hurricanes vs Devils Game 3 predictions
The Carolina Hurricanes lost Max Pacioretty to a season-ending Achilles injury, Andrei Svechnikov after the trade deadline to a season-ending knee injury, and lost Teuvo Teravainen in Game 2 of the first round to a broken wrist. Yet, they continue to chug on.
What’s more miraculous about the Hurricanes is that the little guys are stepping up, and the goaltending and defense is superb.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who lifted the Stanley Cup with that 2006 team as a player, turned back to Frederik Andersen for Game 6 against the New York Islanders after Antti Raanta started the first five games. The move was genius, as Andersen has allowed a single goal in each of his past three starts — including a 28-save performance in Game 2.
Ruff switched gears when Vitek Vanecek started off poorly in the series against the New York Rangers. He turned to rookie Akira Schmid, and the Swiss-born tendy was a godsend. He posted two shutouts, and won four of the final five games against the Blueshirts.
However, Schmid has hit a rough patch, allowing four goals on 25 shots before getting replaced after two periods by his predecessor, Vanecek. The latter won 33 games in the regular season and is expected to start Game 3.
The difference in this series so far, and the difference in Game 3, is goaltending and defense. Carolina played with urgency in the first two games, paid the price on defense, and saw tremendous play in the crease. Dougie Hamilton has looked playoff soft for the New Jersey Devils, and Timo Meier remains scoreless and pointless in eight playoff games so far.
Back the Hurricanes on the road, as they look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in Newark.
My best bet: Hurricanes moneyline (+118 at BetRivers)
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Hurricanes vs Devils Game 3 moneyline analysis
While New Jersey had an amazing regular season, finishing just one point back of the Hurricanes for the Metropolitan Division title, it has gotten off to 0-2 holes in each of the first two series. And to make matters worse, the games haven’t even been competitive. The Devils lost by a combined 10-2 in the first two games of the Rangers series, and 11-2 in this one.
You could be Scottie Bowman or Toe Blake, and the best adjustments in the world won’t help you. Ruff pulled a rabbit out of his hat in the first series, but it remains to be seen if he can do it again. New Jersey is just 15-36 in the past 51 games against teams with a winning percentage over .600, so it’s going to be an uphill climb.
The biggest concern for the Hurricanes coming into the postseason is that they can’t win outside of Raleigh in the playoffs. However, they proved detractors wrong with back-to-back wins in Games 4 and 6 against the Islanders.
Hurricanes vs Devils Game 3 Over/Under analysis
One of the crazier trends in these playoffs is Carolina has cashed the Over at a 5-1-1 clip across the past seven games. Given the fact it has allowed just one goal in each of the past three games, including eight total goals in the past five, that’s a strange stat. It isn’t even the power play that’s doing it for Carolina, either, as it is just 1-for-5 on the man advantage.
The Over is now 4-1 in the past five Conference semifinal round games for the Devils, and 4-1 in the past five meetings between these Metropolitan Division combatants. The Devils have to be better on defense and in the crease in Game 3, right? One would imagine, but for now, you have to keep hitting the Over until they prove otherwise.
Hurricanes vs Devils betting trend to know
The Hurricanes have won seven of the previous nine meetings against New Jersey and are outscoring the Devils 11-2 through two games in the series. Find more NHL betting trends for Hurricanes vs. Devils.
Hurricanes vs Devils Game 3 game info
| Location: | Prudential Center, Newark, NJ |
| Date: | Sunday, May 7, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TBS |
