Canes Start Strong but Fall to Canadiens in a 5-2 Battle
In Montreal, the Carolina Hurricanes came out firing, but an early surge wasn't enough as they fell 5-2 to the Canadiens. The Canes' power play, which had been on fire with three goals in their last outing against Pittsburgh, struck early. Nikolaj Ehlers' attempted pass deflected off a Montreal defender's stick, slipping past goalie Jakub Dobes to give Carolina the lead just 2:36 into the game.
Jordan Staal quickly doubled the advantage, making it seem like the Canes were in control. But hockey is a game of momentum, and the tide turned swiftly. Before the first period ended, the Canadiens got on the board with a redirection goal, sparking a run of five unanswered goals.
Young talents Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky led the charge in the second period, pushing Montreal ahead. In the third, Ivan Demidov added some cushion, and Jake Evans sealed the deal with an empty-netter.
Frederik Andersen's personal five-game win streak was snapped, as was Carolina's quest for a perfect road trip. On the flip side, Dobes was a wall, stopping 41 shots.
Stats & Standouts
Ehlers' power-play goal marked the fourth straight game the Canes converted with the man advantage. This tally pushed Ehlers to 59 points for the season, just five shy of his career-best from 2016-17, with 11 games left to play.
Staal's goal was his 196th with the Hurricanes, tying him with Geoff Sanderson for eighth in franchise history. It was also his 18th of the season, inching closer to his last 20-goal campaign in 2015-16.
Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault was called up as a precaution due to some players feeling under the weather, but he was sent back to Chicago (AHL) before the game began.
They Said It...
Rod Brind'Amour reflected on the game, noting, "We played really, actually a solid game. We had a few mess-ups... and they tip them in, or tap them in. That was really the game."
Jordan Staal added, "We had a tough second [period] there. They had their push, and we didn't defend well enough... We had our chances to tie it up."
Brind'Amour emphasized the importance of staying tight defensively, "We've got to get a little more juice in there and not give them a little bit of space."
Staal acknowledged Montreal's pressure, "They're a puck pressure team. (If) you make a quick turnover, they're going to make you pay."
Brind'Amour's post-game message was clear: "You can't let off the gas... It's hard because, for the most part, we were really good tonight."
Looking forward, Brind'Amour focused on learning from mistakes: "You've got to learn from these little mess-ups... and hopefully not repeat them."
Staal summed up the road trip positively, "It was a good road trip. A tough road trip. [We played] some good teams."
What's Next?
The Hurricanes will return home for practice on Wednesday, take Thursday off, practice again Friday, and face the Devils on Saturday.