The Carolina Hurricanes look to snap their concerning 1-5 slump as they face the Montreal Canadiens in a regular season finale with vastly different stakes for both teams.
While Carolina has already locked up second place in the Metro division and is simply hoping to avoid injuries before their first-round matchup with the Devils, Montreal desperately needs at least one point to secure the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot.
The Bell Centre showdown features a Canadiens squad playing solid defense in recent weeks against a Hurricanes team that's struggled offensively, scoring one goal or fewer in three of their past five contests.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Montreal Canadiens vs Carolina Hurricanes matchup, our predictive model gives the Hurricanes a 54% chance of defeating the Habs.
Carolina Hurricanes: 54% win probability
- Superior defensive record (222 goals against compared to Montreal's 263)
- Higher points total (99 points in 80 games vs Montreal's 89 in 81)
- Better overall win percentage (47 wins in 80 games vs 39 wins in 81 games)
Montreal Canadiens: 46% win probability
- Defensive vulnerability (263 goals against, ranking in bottom half of Eastern Conference)
- Recent inconsistency (LLLWW in their last five games)
- Lower point production despite similar games played (89 points in 81 games, 10 fewer than Carolina)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes odds
Here are the latest odds as the Montreal Canadiens host the Carolina Hurricanes in NHL action on Wednesday, April 16.
| Montreal Canadiens | Carolina Hurricanes | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | -108 (via FanDuel Sportsbook) | +100 (via Caesars Sportsbook) |
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Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes preview
The Canadiens find themselves in a must-not-lose situation as they host the Hurricanes in their regular season finale, needing just a single point to clinch the East's final wildcard spot and set up a first-round matchup with Toronto.
Carolina, having long secured second place in the Metro Division, comes in on a concerning 1-5 skid and appears content to simply escape Bell Centre injury-free before their playoff series against New Jersey begins.
Montreal's young stars Nick Suzuki (87 points) and Cole Caufield (69 points) will look to capitalize against a Hurricanes defense that has surrendered an alarming 20 goals in their last five contests.
While the Hurricanes boast superior goaltending on paper, they've struggled offensively of late, managing just one goal in three of their last five games—a troubling trend for a team that will need scoring depth in the postseason.
The contrast couldn't be starker: a desperate Canadiens squad fighting for their playoff lives against a Hurricanes team simply going through the motions, potentially resting key players with nothing meaningful at stake.
Bell Centre should be electric as Montreal looks to avoid the nightmare scenario where a regulation loss combined with a Columbus win on Thursday would shockingly knock them out of postseason contention.
Key stats
- 1Carolina holds 4th place in the Eastern Conference with 99 points from 80 games played, while Montreal sits in 8th with 89 points from 81 games
- 2The Hurricanes have a goal difference of +37 (259 scored, 222 conceded) compared to Montreal's -22 (241 scored, 263 conceded)
- 3Carolina's recent form shows concerning inconsistency (LWLLL), while Montreal has shown improvement lately (LLLWW)
- 4The Hurricanes have won 47 games this season compared to Montreal's 39, giving Carolina a 58.8% win rate versus Montreal's 48.1%
Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes form
Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes head to head
Montreal Canadiens
17%
Carolina Hurricanes
83%
Mar 28, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes
4 : 1
Montreal Canadiens
Feb 26, 2025
Montreal Canadiens
4 : 0
Carolina Hurricanes
Mar 30, 2024
Montreal Canadiens
0 : 3
Carolina Hurricanes
Mar 8, 2024
Carolina Hurricanes
4 : 1
Montreal Canadiens
Dec 29, 2023
Carolina Hurricanes
5 : 3
Montreal Canadiens
Apr 1, 2023
Montreal Canadiens
0 : 3
Carolina Hurricanes
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