Hurricanes at Blue Jackets Under 5 1/2
These two teams met a month ago in Carolina and the score was 1-1 after regulation. Columbus ended up winning, 2-1, in overtime. I’m expecting to see a similar resut in this rematch.The Under has cashed the past four times these teams have met.
Both teams rank among the top 11 in fewest goals allowed per game. Neither team is strong on the power play. Columbus ranks last in power-play goals and Carolina is 28th.
The goaltending is solid. The Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky won the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL last season. He has a 2.11 goals against average in 14 lifetime games against the Hurricanes.
Carolina goalie Scott Darling is in excellent form stopping 53 of 55 shots during his last two games.
The Hurricanes have lost four of their last five games. The Blue Jackets have dropped their last three. The sense I get is these teams are going to play conservative here, not taking chances but waiting for the right opportunity.
Carolina’s lone win in its last five games came on Tuesday when it defeated Florida, 3-1. The Panthers have the worst defense in the league. Yet the Hurricanes could only manage two goals against Florida until scoring an empty-net goal. The Hurricanes haven’t scored more than three goals in eight of their last nine games.
(I am 48-31-1 on my last 80 NHL plays.)
