The Carolina Hurricanes (24-12-3, first in the Eastern Conference) and the Montreal Canadiens (21-12-6, fourth), square off on Thursday, Jan. 1 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in a battle between two of the conference's top squads.
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Ahead of watching this matchup, here is a glimpse at which squad we pick to bring home the victory in Thursday's action on the ice.
In the last 10 games, the Canadiens have recorded a 6-1-3 record after scoring 37 total goals (seven power-play goals on 30 power-play opportunities during that time, for a conversion rate of 23.3%). Their opponents have scored a combined 23 goals in those games.
Hurricanes vs. Canadiens Predictions for Thursday
Our computer projection model for this contest calls for a final score of Hurricanes 4, Canadiens 2.
- Moneyline Pick: Hurricanes (-173)
- Total Pick: Over 6 (computer predicts 6.5 goals on average)
- Spread Pick: Hurricanes (-1.5)
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Hurricanes Splits and Trends
- The Hurricanes (24-12-3 overall) have a 9-3-12 record in contests that have gone to overtime.
- Carolina is 8-2-1 (17 points) in its 11 games decided by one goal.
- In the eight games this season the Hurricanes registered just one goal, they've finished 1-7-0 (two points).
- Carolina has taken four points from the five games this season when it scored a pair of goals (2-3-0 record).
- The Hurricanes have scored at least three goals in 26 games (21-2-3, 45 points).
- In the 15 games when Carolina has recorded a lone power-play goal, it has a 10-4-1 record (21 points).
- When it has outshot opponents, Carolina is 23-7-2 (48 points).
- The Hurricanes have been outshot by opponents six times, and went 1-4-1 (three points).
Canadiens Splits and Trends
- The Canadiens have a record of 21-12-6 this season and are 8-6-14 in overtime games.
- Montreal has earned 20 points (9-4-2) in its 15 games that finished with a one-goal margin.
- This season the Canadiens scored just one goal in four games and they've earned two points (1-3-0) in those contests.
- Montreal has earned four points (2-4-0 record) this season when scoring two goals .
- The Canadiens have scored more than two goals in 28 games, earning 42 points from those contests.
- Montreal has scored a lone power-play goal in 12 games this season and has registered 16 points from those matchups.
- When it outshoots its opponent this season, Montreal has posted a record of 7-6-2 (16 points).
- The Canadiens have been outshot by opponents 20 times this season, and earned 26 points in those games.
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Team Stats Comparison
| Hurricanes Rank | Hurricanes AVG | Canadiens AVG | Canadiens Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9th | 3.23 | Goals Scored | 3.28 | 6th |
| 12th | 2.9 | Goals Allowed | 3.26 | 23rd |
| 2nd | 32.3 | Shots | 25.7 | 27th |
| 1st | 24.5 | Shots Allowed | 27.2 | 10th |
| 22nd | 17.8% | Power Play % | 25% | 5th |
| 20th | 79.63% | Penalty Kill % | 77.78% | 23rd |
Hurricanes vs. Canadiens Game Time and TV Channel
- When: Thursday, January 1, 2026 at 7 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
- Where: Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina
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