NHL: Hurricanes Look to Continue Winning Ways in Montreal

The Carolina Hurricanes (8-6-4 SU, 11-7 ATS) come to Montreal on a five-game win streak. Three of those five victories have come against Canadian teams, including a 3-2 victory against the Habs in Carolina last Friday. The Canadiens (14-4-2), meanwhile, have struggled as of late, dropping four of their last five games, with their most recent loss coming from the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. Led by centre Alex Galchenyuk (8 goals, 13 assists) and goaltender Carey Price (1.77 goals against average, .943 save percentage), the NHL’s top team has come down to earth after a torrid start to the 2016-17 season.

The Hurricanes come into Thursday’s matchup (7:30 PM ET on SN360) on a hot streak. After defeating Toronto 2-1 Tuesday on goals from Jeff Skinner (8 goals, 8 assists) and Viktor Stalberg (3 goals, 1 assist), Carolina will look to extend their season-high winning stream to six games. Veteran goaltender Cam Ward (2.27 goals against average, .919 save percentage) has rebounded nicely after a tough start to the season and will look to build upon those stats against the second-best offense in the NHL.

NHL Odds: Montreal hosts Carolina at the Bell Centre on Thursday

The Montreal Canadiens (14-4-2), having lost four of their last five games, welcome the Carolina Hurricanes (8-6-4) on Thursday (7:30 PM ET on SN360) in a matchup between two teams trending in opposite directions. Carolina has won five straight games, including a 3-2 victory over the Habs on November 18 in Carolina.

The Hurricanes have been a middle-of-the-pack team so far this season, which is reflected in their 21st ranked offense and 16th ranked defense. Despite their 2nd ranked offense and 7th ranked defense, the Canadiens have struggled of late. They’ll look for players other than Alex Radulov and Alex Galchenyuk to chip in offensively on Thursday to help the Canadiens get back in the win column.