Carolina at Montreal

This is a huge game for Montreal as it takes on Carolina, the best team in the Eastern Conference with a conference-leading 96 points. Montreal is coming off one of its better wins of the season, beating the Islanders 7-3 at home this past Saturday. Time after time, though, the Canadiens have failed to follow up a victory with another victory in a key game. Case in point: Montreal upset Ottawa as a +162 road dog on March 11. But then they were upset at home by the Sharks in their following game. The Canadiens defeated the Bruins at home a week ago, then lost as a short road favorite to the Red Wings in their next game. The Canadiens' third-ranked offense is offset by their 25th-ranked defense and inconsistent goaltending. Carolina is on a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating the home Penguins, 5-1, this past Sunday. The Hurricanes are 20-10-4 on the road. Brandon Bussi is 26-6-1 in net this season for Carolina. Frederik Andersen, his goalie teammate, has won his last five starts. Take the Hurricanes.