Note: Final picks on our picks page may differ from this article's prediction, as they incorporate last-minute goalie confirmations, injury updates, and live odds closer to game time. Always check the picks page for the most up-to-date selections.
The Carolina Hurricanes travel to Columbus to face the Blue Jackets on March 31, 2026, in a matchup that pits two teams heading in different directions. This Hurricanes vs Blue Jackets prediction favors Carolina's recent hot streak and elite underlying analytics against a struggling Columbus squad desperately seeking consistency.
Team Form & Recent Performance
The Hurricanes enter this contest with undeniable momentum. Over their last five games, Carolina has recorded three wins while maintaining a 6-4-0 overall record. The team is playing cohesive, confident hockey and shows no signs of slowing down. With one day of rest and a normal schedule, Bussi and the Hurricanes should be fresh and ready to execute.
Columbus, meanwhile, is struggling to find their footing. The Blue Jackets sit at 5-3-2 overall, but their recent form tells a more concerning story—just one win over their last five games. This inconsistency has created gaps in their lineup's confidence, and they'll face an uphill battle against a hot Carolina team. Like Carolina, Columbus also has one day of rest heading into this matchup, so fatigue won't be a factor for either side.
Advanced Stats Comparison
The analytics heavily favor the Hurricanes in this Hurricanes Blue Jackets pick. Carolina dominates nearly every underlying metric:
Corsi For %: The Hurricanes' 61.59 CF% is exceptional, indicating they're controlling play and generating more shot attempts than they're allowing. Columbus's 49.14 CF% shows they're being outworked in possession battles.
Expected Goals For %: Carolina's 60.11 xGF% versus Columbus's 49.61 xGF% reveals the quality of scoring chances. The Hurricanes are creating significantly better offensive opportunities while defending more effectively.
High-Danger Chances: Perhaps most telling is the HDCF% comparison—60.13% for Carolina versus 48.25% for Columbus. The Hurricanes are generating high-quality, close-range chances at nearly 12 percentage points higher than the Blue Jackets, a massive advantage in playoff-style hockey.
These numbers paint a clear picture: Carolina is the superior team in nearly every possession and scoring metric that matters most.
Goalie Matchup
B. Bussi is expected to start for Carolina, bringing an impressive 27-6-1 record into this matchup. The Hurricanes' netminder has been a pillar of consistency and will face a Blue Jackets team that struggles to generate quality chances. J. Greaves gets the nod for Columbus with a 24-14-9 record—solid but not elite. Against Carolina's dominant possession game and high-danger chance creation, Greaves will need to be sharp. However, given the analytics advantage favoring Carolina's offense, Bussi's elite record and the Hurricanes' defensive structure should create a favorable environment for a strong performance.
Injury Impact
Both teams report no key injuries heading into this matchup, meaning neither squad will be operating at diminished capacity. This neutralizes any advantage either team might claim on the injury front.
Prediction
According to WP Hockey Predictor's advanced algorithm, the Carolina Hurricanes win probability stands at 56.7%, while the Blue Jackets check in at 43.3%. Our NHL picks favor Carolina in this contest.
The Hurricanes' combination of recent form, elite advanced analytics across all key metrics, and goalie advantage makes them the clear selection. Columbus would need an exceptional performance to overcome Carolina's possession dominance and superior chance creation. With Bussi in net and the team's overall superiority in HDCF%, the Hurricanes project to control this game from start to finish.
Run your own prediction to see how different variables might impact this matchup.
Note: Final picks on our picks page may differ from this article's prediction, as they incorporate last-minute goalie confirmations, injury updates, and live odds closer to game time. Always check the picks page for the most up-to-date selections.