Taylor Hall supplied two goals as the Carolina Hurricanes erased a second-period deficit and skated out of Bell Centre with a 6-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Carolina controlled the puck for long stretches in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Final, firing 34 shots to Montreal’s 20 and extending its winning streak to two games.
Key takeaways
- Hall scored twice, including the insurance goal that gave Carolina its first two-goal cushion midway through the third period.
- Sebastian Aho posted a goal and two assists, while Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski each recorded a goal and an assist.
- Montreal carried a 3-2 lead out of a frantic first period but was overwhelmed 17-4 in shots during the second.
- Zachary Bolduc scored twice for the Canadiens, with Nick Suzuki adding a goal and an assist in the home opener.
- Andrei Svechnikov sealed the result with an empty-net goal in the final 1:16.
Carolina takes over after Montreal’s fast start
The Hurricanes improved to 2-1-1 after dropping their opening two games, while Montreal fell to 1-1-1 with its second straight defeat. Brandon Bussi turned aside 16 shots for Carolina. Jakub Dobes faced the heavier workload for the Canadiens and made 28 saves.
Montreal found an early finishing touch despite being outshot 12-6 in the opening period. The Canadiens converted three shots into three goals, taking two separate one-goal advantages during a five-goal first 20 minutes.
Hall opened the scoring 2:25 into the game. Stationed at the edge of the crease behind Dobes, he regained his footing and redirected Jackson Blake’s spinning wrist shot for a 1-0 Carolina lead.
Bolduc answered 58 seconds later. After Alexandre Texier sent a wrist shot from high in the slot and Phillip Danault got a piece of it, Bolduc collected the rebound and lifted a backhand over Bussi’s left pad.
The Canadiens moved ahead 2-1 at 4:27 when Suzuki took a Chris Kreider feed and beat Bussi on the blocker side. The goal was the third scored in just 2:02.
Carolina pulled even at 9:22 as Robinson tipped Jaden Chatfield’s point shot beyond Dobes. Bolduc restored Montreal’s advantage at 12:54, sending the hosts into the intermission ahead 3-2.
Aho and Jankowski turn the game, Hall finishes it
The middle period tilted sharply toward Carolina. Aho made it 3-3 at 3:56, taking a Nikolaj Ehlers pass on the right side and snapping a wrist shot past Dobes. The Hurricanes continued to press, outshooting Montreal 17-4 in the frame.
Jankowski completed the turnaround at 13:24 of the second. Cutting across the crease, he pulled a backhand up under Dobes’ glove to put Carolina in front 4-3.
Hall added his second at 12:21 of the third, stretching the lead to 5-3 for the first two-goal margin of the night. Slafkovsky brought Montreal back within one at 16:57, but the Canadiens could not find an equalizer. Svechnikov put the game away into the empty net with 1:16 left.
Carolina had beaten Montreal in five games in last season’s Eastern Conference Final on the way to the Stanley Cup. The Canadiens were also without forward Ivan Demidov, last season’s Calder Trophy runner-up, who is expected to miss two to four weeks with a lower-body injury.
