Morning Coffee: Hurricanes strike again; Knights can finish off Avalanche tonight

The Montreal Canadiens have defied the odds all season.

Overlooked as a team that was too young and too flawed to contend for the Stanley Cup, the Habs surprised a lot of hockey fans by winning a pair of Game 7s on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres.

After the Canadiens cruised to a 6-2 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it seemed like history was about to repeat itself for a Carolina Hurricanes side that has struggled to win the big one in recent seasons.

Instead, the Hurricanes responded with back-to-back overtime wins, handing Montreal consecutive losses for the first time this postseason.

Despite the electric atmosphere at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens were outshot, outhit, and ultimately fell short by the slimmest of margins to fall to 2-5 on home ice in these Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Meanwhile, Carolina became the first team to win each of its first five road games in the postseason since the Colorado Avalanche accomplished that feat on the way to a Stanley Cup win in 2022.

Suddenly, the Hurricanes have the momentum in the series entering a critical Game 4 on Wednesday night.

Can the Canadiens bounce back and pull off another upset to send the series back to Carolina tied 2-2?

The Habs are +118 to win Game 4 and +385 to win the series at FanDuel.

The Hurricanes are -142 to win Game 4, -520 to advance, and -105 to win the Stanley Cup as the slight favourite ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights at +150.

Tonight, the Golden Knights will have the opportunity to complete an improbable four-game series sweep over the Presidents’ trophy-winning Avalanche.

Teams that have led a best-of-seven conference final or conference semi-final series 3-0 are a perfect 48-0 to advance all-time.

Despite Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar being hurt, lingering questions about the best option to be their starting goaltender, and three straight losses to begin the series, Colorado is a slight favourite to win Game 4.

Can the Avalanche survive tonight and send the series back to Denver?

Let’s set the stage for game 4 and lock in a FanDuel Best Bet in this Morning Coffee for Tuesday May 26^th, 2026.

Golden Knights Can Finish Off Avalanche Tonight

The Avalanche entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs as an obvious favourite to win it all after cruising to an NHL-best 55-16-11 record during the regular season.

Colorado picked up where it left off in the postseason with a four-game series sweep against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, then beat the Minnesota Wild in five in the second round.

With a combined 64-17-11 record and the home ice advantage, the Avalanche opened -280 versus Vegas in the Western Conference Final.

Nobody expected what has happened since.

While hindsight is 20-20, it’s important to keep in mind that the Golden Knights finished the regular season on a 7-0-1 run under head coach John Tortorella and still finished with 95 points, which wouldn’t have been enough to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Vegas went six games with the Utah Mammoth in the first round and needed another six in the second round to knock off the Anaheim Ducks.

The key for the Golden Knights has been their improved defensive structure and goaltending under Tortorella.

Carter Hart had an .891 save percentage in 18 regular season starts, then conceded three goals or more in four of seven games against the Mammoth in the first round.

Since Game 6 versus Utah, Hart has held his opponents to two goals or fewer in eight of his last 10 starts.

Even after giving up three goals in the first period of Game 3 versus Colorado, Hart shut the door after that and finished with 32 saves as Vegas rallied for a 4-3 comeback win.

In a series that has been decided in the third period of all three games, better defensive structure and goaltending has been the difference.

The fact that Scott Wedgewood is still Colorado’s best option in net makes things more complicated for the Presidents’ Trophy winners entering Game 4.

Add Nathan MacKinnon’s injury and Cale Makar being less than a hundred per cent, and it’s hard to imagine the Avalanche rallying from down 3-0 to win this series.

Colorado owns an 0-4 record all-time when trailing 3-0 in a best-of-seven series.

Do the Avalanche have enough left in the tank to extend the series with a win tonight in Vegas?

Colorado is a slight favourite to win Game 4 at -115.

While I couldn’t have imagined betting on the Avalanche to get swept in four games entering the series, I’m going to lock in the Golden Knights to win tonight at -104 as my FanDuel Best Bet for Game 4.

Colorado was already in trouble with Makar at less than 100 per cent entering Game 3.

With MacKinnon banged up off a demoralizing loss, the Avalanche are on the ropes entering tonight’s game, and the Golden Knights don’t want to give them any life.

Even if MacKinnon plays, he won’t be at full strength.

If Colorado does make a goaltending change and go with MacKenzie Blackwood, I’m not convinced that will help their chances of avoiding the four-game series sweep.

Regardless of which goalie starts for the Avalanche, Vegas has the edge in net, in defensive structure, in physicality, and with MacKinnon and Makar both hurt, they might have the edge in overall talent and depth as well.

Factor in home ice and the chance to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Final tonight, and it’s clear there is value backing the Golden Knights to win tonight at -104.

Have a great day, everyone!