A win here for the Carolina Hurricanes would bring them closer to the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and Pittsburgh Penguins for those final two spots. A loss, and they slip further away, possibly with too many teams ahead of them to catch. This is a huge game for both teams.

The New York Islanders are surging right now. They’ve won three in a row and have beaten quality opponents. They are on the road here, but when we got in this morning the line was -128. Now, at -140, Z-Code doesn’t offer as firm a support for our prediction and there is a little less value. Still, this is a system play.

The Carolina Hurricanes have rebuilt, but they have lost three of four to slip in the playoff picture. They seem to have found some stability in net, but nothing dominant. They lack depth and I do not see them finding a way to compete at the end of the year.

Here, in a battle of two desperate teams, I expect the more talented bunch to prevail – even on the road. Zcode gives them a 53% chance for victory, and it fits my system with momentum clearly on the side of the Islanders.

Islanders 3 – Canes 2