The Carolina Hurricanes will clash with the Pittsburgh Penguins as the two squad battle at the PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Hurricanes-Penguins prediction and pick.
The Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Tuesday. Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored a goal to get things going. Additionally, Jaccob Slavin distributed two assists. Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov made 37 saves to preserve the win. Amazingly, the Canes led 3-0 after two periods. The Hurricanes only needed 20 shots to win. However, they struggled on the powerplay, whiffing on all four chances on special teams. The Hurricanes won 56 percent of the faceoffs. Additionally, they blocked 13 shots.
The Penguins defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday. Significantly, they trailed 1-0 heading into the second period when they got some opportunities on special teams. Evgeni Malkin connected on a powerplay goal off a pass from Sidney Crosby to tie the game. Additionally, the Pens took the lead just before the end of the period when Bryan Rust cemented a powerplay goal to give Pittsburgh the lead heading into the third. Crosby added a goal in the third to seal the victory.
The Hurricanes are on fire right now, going 9-0-1 over the last 10 games. Significantly, they are 11-3-5 on the road and 6-0-4 over their last 10 away games. The Penguins are 8-1-1 over the last 10 games at PPG Paints Arena. Moreover, the Pens are 10-3-2 at home, and 7-2-1 over the previous 10 home games.
The Hurricanes are 7-3 over the past 10 games against the Penguins. Also, the Canes have already taken the first two games this season, winning 3-2 at PPG Paints Arena and 3-2 at home.
Here are the Hurricanes-Penguins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Hurricanes-Penguins Odds
Carolina Hurricanes: +1.5 (-250) ML (+104)
Pittsburgh Penguins: -1.5 (+198) ML (-125)
Over: +1.5 (-250)
Under: -1.5 (+198)
Why The Hurricanes Could Cover The Spread
The Hurricanes are succeeding despite having some injuries. Moreover, they have played without Sebastian Aho lately, and still firing on all cylinders. Aho has 11 goals and 16 assists, with two markers on the extra-man attack. Meanwhile, Martin Necas has played well, leading the team in scoring. Necas has 13 goals and 17 assists, including four powerplay tallies. Additionally, Andrei Svechnikov has 17 goals and 12 assists, with three powerplay goals. Defenseman Brent Burns has four goals and 18 assists, including two tallies on special teams.
The Canes have struggled on offense, ranking 23rd in goals. Moreover, they are also 29th in shooting percentage and 27th on the powerplay. But the Canes continue to win games by playing tight defense and scoring when they get the chance.
Kochetkov has done an exceptional job filling in for Frederik Andersen, going 10-1-4 with a 1.94 goals-against average and a save percentage of .928. The defense plays well in front of him, not allowing much to cross the line. Significantly, the Hurricanes rank sixth in goals allowed and 11th on the penalty kill.
The Hurricanes will cover the spread if they can muster some goals on their opportunities. Moreover, they must stop Crosby and Malkin from owning them.
Why The Penguins Could Cover The Spread
The Penguins are a good team, and continuing to play well. Ultimately, they are around the middle of the road in most categories in the NHL. Crosby has 18 goals and 24 assists, including six on the powerplay. Meanwhile, Malkin has 11 goals and 22 assists, with four on special teams. Jake Guentzel has 15 goals and 17 assists. Additionally, Rickard Rakell has tallied 13 goals and nine assists, with four conversions on the powerplay. The Penguins are seventh in goals, 10th in shooting percentage and 16th on the powerplay.
The defense and goaltending have excelled as well. Moreover, Tristan Jarry is having a solid start to the season. Jarry is 15-3-3 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a save percentage of .922. Also, the Penguins are 11th in goals allowed and third on the penalty kill. The Penguins are inconsistent, but win when they clamp down on opponents. Therefore, defense is the key here.
The Penguins will cover the spread if they can break free to find some opportunities. Moreover, they must connect on their passes and find open opportunities for Crosby, Malkin, and others to prosper.
Final Hurricanes-Penguins Prediction & Pick
The Hurricanes dominate this series and are attempting to sweep. However, they did this last year, and the Penguins found a way to win one game. The Hurricanes are also the hottest team in the NHL right now and making headway. Still, the Penguins are too good to let the Hurricanes come into their building and beat them again. Expect the Penguins to find opportunities and secure the win after a long hard-fought battle at home.
Final Hurricanes-Penguins Prediction & Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins ML (-125)
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