The Colorado Avalanche will square off with the Carolina Hurricanes as the teams battle it out at PNC Arena. It's time to continue our NHL odds series as we make an Avalanche-Hurricanes prediction and pick.
On Monday, the Avalanche lost 3-2 at home to the St. Louis Blues. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist to lead the Avs. Additionally, defenseman Cale Makar produced two assists. Nathan Mackinnon also added a helper. Meanwhile, goalie Alexander Georgiev made 36 saves to help keep his team in the game. The Avalanche won 48 percent of their faceoffs. Also, they went 1 for 5 on the powerplay and 1 for 2 on the penalty kill. The Avs also blocked only seven shots, while the Blues blocked 15 of their shots.
The Hurricanes shut out the Blackhawks 3-0 at the United Center on Monday. Jordan Martinook led the Hurricanes with a goal and an assist. Additionally, defenseman Brent Burns assisted with two helpers. Jordan Staal also added a goal and an assist. Moreover, backup goalie Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 27 shots he faced. The Canes won despite winning only 39 percent of their faceoffs. Also, they only blocked seven shots. The Hurricanes failed to convert on its three powerplay chances but did kill off all four penalties.
The Canes shut out the Avs 2-0 at PNC Arena last season, but the Avs won 7-4 at Ball Arena. Additionally, Antti Raanta stopped all 36 shots he faced in the shutout win, and Sebastian Aho delivered with a goal. The Hurricanes also killed all three powerplay chances the Avalanche had.
Here are the Avalanche-Hurricanes NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Avalanche-Hurricanes Odds
Colorado Avalanche: +1.5 (-235)
Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+184)
Over: 6 (-112)
Under: 6 (-110)
Why The Avalanche Could Cover The Spread
The Avalanche are 8-5-1 and stumbling through the season's first few weeks. Ultimately, they have not had the services of Gabriel Landeskog, who is one of their top scorers. But Colorado has the talent and depth to stay above water and win the division. Also, the defending champions can keep winning without Landeskog but must remain healthy otherwise.
Mackinnon has four goals and 20 assists so far this season. Additionally, he has supplanted two powerplay goals. Rantanen has 11 goals and 14 assists. Likewise, he has chipped in two powerplay goals. Makar has three goals and 15 assists. Subsequently, he has added one goal on the extra-man attack. Defenseman Devon Toews has one goal and nine assists but has yet to tally one on the powerplay.
The Avalanche are just 18th in goals scored this year. However, they are also third in goals allowed. They rank 10th in shooting percentage and are the best team in the NHL in powerplay conversions. Ultimately, it may come down to how well they defend their net to succeed in this clash.
Georgiev is 7-2-1 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a save percentage of .924. Significantly, he has done reasonably decent in his first real starting role after backing up goalie Igor Shesterkin during his time with the Rangers.
The Avalanche will cover the spread if they can get multiple powerplay chances. Ultimately, their success on the powerplay has played a vital role in their ability to conjure up victories.
Why The Hurricanes Could Cover The Spread
The Hurricanes are 10-5-1 and once again establishing themselves as one of the best teams in the NHL. Thus, they remain a threat to take down any team in the league and are one of the toughest to play. The Hurricanes are 4-2 at PNC Arena this season. Additionally, they have plenty of talent that can cause damage.
Martin Necas has seven goals and 12 assists. Likewise, he has contributed two powerplay goals. Andrei Scechnikov has 12 goals and six assists. Moreover, he has contributed three powerplay goals. Aho now has seven goals and 10 assists. Meanwhile, he has chipped in two on the extra-man attack. Burns has three goals and nine assists. Meanwhile, he has tallied one on the powerplay.
The Canes are struggling to score, ranking 20th in goal scoring. Conversely, they rank sixth in goals allowed. They have not shot well, ranking 29th in shooting percentage. Additionally, Carolina ranks only 27th on the powerplay and 17th on the penalty kill.
Raanta may be the goalie tonight, with Frederik Andersen still recovering from an injury. Significantly, he is 3-2-1 with a 2.47 goals-against average with a save percentage of .911. Kochetkov has a 2-0 record with a save percentage of .959, including a shutout.
The Hurricanes will cover the spread if they clamp down on Colorado and play tight defense. Likewise, they must avoid penalties.
Final Avalanche-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick
The Hurricanes play great defense. Ultimately, it will be a low-scoring game that will go down to the wire. Take the under in this contest.
Final Avalanche-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick: Under: 6 (-110)
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