The Carolina Hurricanes' incredible start to the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs was surprisingly snapped in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final by the Montreal Canadiens. The Canes swept each of their first two series to start the postseason off 8-0. That resulted in Carolina not playing since May 9 ahead of Game 1 of the ECF on Thursday, May 21. Whether it was rust or not is irrelevant, but the Canes now find themselves down 1-0 to the Habs after getting blown out 6-2 at home in Game 1. Montreal exploded for four first-period goals, which is very notable as Carolina hadn't allowed more than two goals in any of its first eight playoff games. The Canadiens can take a 2-0 lead on Saturday before the series moves to Montreal on Monday for Game 3.
Carolina is a -215 favorite (wager $215 to win $100), per the latest Canadiens vs. Hurricanes consensus odds, and Montreal is a +177 underdog (wager $100 to win $177). The Over/Under for total goals scored is 5.5. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NHL game 10,000 times, has locked in its NHL picks and best bets for Thursday's Canadiens at Hurricanes Game 2 matchup. The model entered the conference final round of the 2026 NHL playoffs with a +668 return on top-rated money-line NHL picks. Anyone following its NHL betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
Ahead of this massive Game 2 showdown, bettors have no shortage of NHL betting opportunities, including spread betting, Over/Under bets, money line bets and even player prop bets. Bettors also can combine picks to make a same-game parlay bet for Saturday's Game 2 matchup for a potentially greater profit.
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NHL Playoffs picks for Saturday, May 23
- Canadiens money line
- Over 5.5 goals
Canadiens money line
Thursday's Game 1 was a classic case of momentum versus rest. Team Momentum stood tall to begin the series. The Habs had played 14 games this postseason to the Canes' eight ahead of Game 1. The Hurricanes hadn't played since May 9, while the Canadiens didn't wrap up their second-round series until this Monday, May 18. Montreal continued its road warrior ways in Game 1 with a dominant 6-2 win. The SportsLine model backed the Canadiens ahead of Game 1, and it's picking them again here. Montreal wins Game 2 in 51% of simulations at plus money.
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Over 5.5 total goals
The Over hit in Game 1, but not in the way many expected. Carolina had been so good defensively to kick off the postseason, but Montreal exploded for four goals in the first period in what wound up being a resounding 6-2 Game 1 win. The Canes had allowed two or fewer goals in each of their first eight games of the postseason. The SportsLine model expects more scoring in Game 2 as well, with it backing Over 5.5 goals as part of its NHL best bets for Saturday.
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