Can you believe it? The Montreal Canadiens just snapped a brutal losing streak in Carolina that stretched back to 2016, and they did it in a wild, high-scoring affair! The final score? A thrilling 7-5 victory over the Hurricanes, extending their point streak to an impressive seven games. But here's where it gets controversial... Was it a sign of Montreal's resurgence, or just a lucky night against a slumping Carolina team? Let's break it down.
In a Thursday night showdown at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Canadiens (now boasting a 22-12-6 record) showcased an offensive explosion, securing their first win in Carolina since April 7, 2016. Before this victory, they had suffered through a painful 0-10-2 stretch in their previous 12 visits. Talk about ending a drought!
Several Canadiens players had standout performances. Juraj Slafkovsky, Sammy Blais, and Lane Hutson each contributed a goal and an assist, while Ivan Demidov and Alexandre Texier each chipped in with two assists. Goaltender Jakub Dobes held his own, making 20 saves to secure the win. The Canadiens are currently 3-0-2 on their ongoing seven-game road trip and 5-0-2 during their impressive point streak.
Montreal coach Martin St. Louis acknowledged the significance of the win. “You never know what kind of game it’s going to be,” he said. “Our intentions were there, but they’re a good team. They’re a team that we’ve been chasing for years. I think it’s our first win here in about 10 years, right? I feel like we’re getting closer to these good teams, and I’m happy for the guys.” St. Louis's comments highlight the importance of this victory as a potential turning point for the Canadiens, suggesting they are closing the gap on the league's elite teams.
However, the victory wasn't without its challenges. Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson was sidelined due to an upper-body injury. “When you lose a guy like Mike who plays a lot, especially on the [penalty kill] and big matchups, the job isn’t as easy as when he’s on the ice,” St. Louis explained. “You try to do that as a group, and that’s what we tried to do.” Matheson's absence forced the team to adjust, relying on a collective effort to compensate for his valuable contributions.
On the Hurricanes' side (now 24-13-3), Sebastian Aho had a monster night, tying his NHL career high with five points (two goals, three assists). Andrei Svechnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers also had strong performances, each recording a goal and two assists. Despite these individual efforts, Carolina has now lost two consecutive games and is struggling with a 2-4-1 record in their past seven contests.
Aho expressed his frustration with the team's performance. “It was sloppy. Obviously, not a great start,” he said. “We came back, up a goal after the first, so we’re in good shape. We go up two goals and then we were just sloppy. We have to take pride to help the 'D' out, help the goalies out. Just put the pucks deep, especially when we’re up a goal or two.” Aho's words point to a lack of discipline and defensive responsibility, suggesting a need for greater teamwork and attention to detail.
Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi had a night to forget, allowing seven goals on 23 shots. “He had a tough night,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I don’t know how many saves he made, but he didn’t make too many. But he’s been great all year, so we’ve got to help him out at that point, not give up those odd-man rushes and things that create those scoring opportunities.” Brind'Amour's comments acknowledge Bussi's struggles while also emphasizing the team's responsibility to provide better support and prevent high-quality scoring chances.
The game itself was a rollercoaster of emotions. Nick Suzuki opened the scoring for Montreal at 3:10 of the first period, followed quickly by Oliver Kapanen at 4:06, giving the Canadiens an early 2-0 lead. Carolina responded with goals from Ehlers, Aho, and Svechnikov to take a 3-2 lead. Alexander Nikishin added another power-play goal early in the second to extend Carolina's lead to 4-2. But the Canadiens battled back, with goals from Blais, Cole Caufield, and Josh Anderson putting them back in front 5-4. Slafkovsky extended the lead to 6-4 in the third period, before Aho scored late to make it 6-5. Hutson sealed the victory for Montreal with an empty-net goal at 18:00.
Sammy Blais summed up the game perfectly: “All four lines were rolling and we scored a lot of goals tonight,” he said. “It was a big team win.”
Here are some additional notes from the game:
- Aho's five-point performance was only the second of his NHL career. The only players in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history with more five-point games are Ron Francis (eight) and Eric Staal (four).
- Bussi's 12-game point streak came to an end. It was one game short of tying the franchise record set by Antti Raanta during the 2022-23 season.
- Caufield scored his first career goal against the Hurricanes.
- Anderson left the game after the second period, but there was no immediate update on his condition.
So, what do you think? Was this win a sign of things to come for the Canadiens, or just a temporary blip on the radar? And how concerned should Hurricanes fans be about their team's recent struggles? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
