Home HOCKEY NHL Canadiens Score Four in First Period to Beat Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 1

Canadiens Score Four in First Period to Beat Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 1

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Canadiens Vs Hurricanes
Canadiens rout Hurricanes to take 1-0 series lead  

Carolina outshot Montreal in the second period but could not close the gap. The Canadiens will look to go up 2-0 when the series resumes Saturday at the Lenovo Center. 


Montreal stuns Carolina with early surge in Eastern Conference final opener...


The Montreal Canadiens scored four goals in the first period and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. Carolina had not played for 12 days coming into the matchup.


The Hurricanes entered as heavy favorites after sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers and getting extra rest. Montreal advanced only after needing overtime in Game 7 against Buffalo to eliminate the Sabres.


Carolina opened the scoring 33 seconds in. Seth Jarvis put a shot past the goalie after Andrei Svechnikov tipped the puck his way. 


Montreal answered 27 seconds later. Juraj Slafkovsky found Cole Caufield wide open, and Caufield beat Frederik Andersen to tie the game.




The frantic start continued after the opening goals. Sean Walker and Nick Suzuki took penalties seconds apart, leaving both teams with four skaters for two minutes.


Phillip Danault put Montreal ahead 2-1 during that stretch. He picked up the puck at center ice, skated in unmarked, and slid a low shot into the bottom corner for the Habs’ first lead of the series.




Danault turned provider midway through the period to make it 3-1. His pass set up Alexandre Texier, who fired a low shot past Andersen that gave the goalie no chance.




Carolina’s struggles continued as Montreal made it 4-1 before the first period ended. Ivan Demidov found himself alone with the Hurricanes goalie on a breakaway. He created space with a quick move and scored to cap a dominant opening frame for the Canadiens.




Few expected Carolina to fall behind like this after nearly two weeks off. The Hurricanes played better after the first intermission and pulled a goal back. Two minutes into the second period, Cole Caufield hit the post with a shot.


Carolina went the other way immediately. William Carrier fed Eric Robinson, and the winger fired it straight in to cut Montreal’s lead and give the home team some momentum.




Carolina controlled the second period but had little to show for it. The Hurricanes outshot Montreal 11-3, yet Robinson’s goal was the only one scored in the middle frame.


That turned out to be Carolina’s last goal of the night. Montreal added two more in the third through Juraj Slafkovsky to close out the scoring.


The 22-year-old beat a defender with a slick move before sliding the puck past Andersen for his first of the period.




His second came in the final minutes with Carolina playing an extra skater. The Hurricanes were caught out, and Slafkovsky skated in unchallenged to finish his second of the night.




Montreal took Game 1 6-2 and will try to go up 2-0 when the series resumes Saturday at the Lenovo Center.




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