The Carolina Hurricanes (24-9-3) are set to play host to the Dallas Stars (13-12-10) at PNC Arena this online betting Sunday evening. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET from Raleigh, NC.
Analysis
On Saturday, the Stars got the best of the Hurricanes, winning by a score of 3-2. Tanner Kero scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and Jake Oettinger made 41 saves in the victory. Defenseman Mark Psyk added two assists as well.
Although Carolina heavily outshot Dallas 43-25, only Dougie Hamilton and Hayden Fleury were able to find the back of the net for the Hurricanes.
Looking at the NHL odds for this game, the Hurricanes have a moneyline of -165, while the Stars are at +145. The over/under for the contest has been set at 5½ goals.
Dallas Stars Must Extend Win Streak
Dallas has won two straight and hopes to continue its push for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division. The Stars sit five points back of the fourth-place Nashville Predators but have four games in hand. With 21 games remaining in the regular season, the final seeding could come down to one or two points.
Veteran center Joe Pavelski has been the main source of offense for the Stars. Pavelski is having a renaissance season at age 36, with 15 goals and 19 assists in 34 games. Captain Jamie Benn has struggled, however, with only seven goals.
Dallas has also missed star winger Tyler Seguin, who’s been sidelined the entire year recovering from right hip arthroscopy and labral repair following the Stanley Cup Final last year. Seguin has been a consistent 30-goal scorer so it’s been a rough time filling that hole in the top six for Rick Bowness’s squad.
Alex Radulov hasn’t played in a game since March 18 and is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Jason Dickinson is considered day-to-day, and Roope Hintz is listed out for Sunday’s game.
Home Sweet Home
The Hurricanes are 11-2-3 at PNC Arena and play their best brand of hockey there. Offensively, Carolina is one of the best teams in the league, ranking in the top 10 in goals per game.
The Hurricanes also boast one of the best power plays, scoring on the man advantage 29.8% of the time.
Sebastian Aho leads Carolina in points with 33, 15 of which are goals. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton has 26 assists. Seven players on the Hurricanes roster have 20 points or more.
Winger Teuro Teravainen remains on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, and defenseman Jake Gardiner is day-to-day with a back ailment.
Battle Of The Backups
With goaltender Anton Khudobin currently sidelined with COVID-19, Jake Oettinger is expected to get the nod once again for the Stars. Oettinger is 5-3-6 with a goals-against average of 2.34 and a save percentage of .909.
Oettinger is 22 and was drafted with the Stars’ first-round pick in 2017. The former Boston University standout is most definitely the future for Dallas in the crease.
Across the ice from Oettinger will most likely be Alex Nedelijkovic, who’s 8-3-2 with a .927 save percentage in 2021. Starting netminder Petr Mrazek was injured early in the season. Mrazek only appeared in three games after suffering a thumb injury back in January.
Prediction
The fact that Carolina heavily outplayed Dallas on Saturday speaks volumes. Although Dallas is the more desperate team, the Stars had no business winning. Look for the Canes to come out with a vengeance and get revenge Sunday.
When doing your NHL betting, take the Carolina Hurricanes to bounce back and win on the moneyline.
