New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Free Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (+105 NHL Odds)
Mon Dec 21 ‘09 7:05p
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The Carolina Hurricanes may be just 9-20-6 overall, but they have improved their play significantly lately here at home, and the RBC Center has always been a House of Horrors for their opponents tonight, the New York Rangers.

In fact, Carolina now has a winning record at home at 8-7-2 after winning six of their last eight games here, a far cry from their dismal 1-13-4 road record. The Canes are coming off of a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers here on Saturday, and they upset the Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars in their previous two home games, a couple of teams that are both better than this Rangers team they are facing tonight.

The Hurricanes are now averaging a nice 3.00 goals per game in this building, and that should be enough to defeat an offensively challenged and slumping Rangers team that often relies too much on the goaltending of All-Star Henrik Lundqvist.

Now the Rangers have won two straight since a five game losing streak, but it is not as if they are lighting the lamp with regularity. They beat the Flyers 2-1 on Saturday as Lundqvist stood on his head stopping 36 shots, and it is not a given that the Rangers can shut down what has been a very capable Canes attack at home. That should prove fatal for a Rangers team that averages only 2.33 goals on the road.

Finally, Carolina is 8-2 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings with the Rangers including 2-0 last season, and with the improved play at home by the Hurricanes lately, we look for that dominance to continue.

NHL Free Pick: Hurricanes +105