Rachel Barkley
Sometimes, a game just isn’t in the cards, no matter how hard you try.
Tuesday, the Hurricanes were handed a 5-2 loss by the Montreal Canadiens…but not for a lack of effort.
In the first period, the Hurricanes came out of the gate strong. Nikolaj Ehlers gave Carolina the lead on the power play after just 2:36 had been played. Less than five minutes later, Jordan Staal extended the lead with yet another goal, notching his 18th of the season – a number he hasn’t reached since 2018.
Before the frame ended, Oliver Kapanen managed a tip-in shot to halve the Hurricanes’ lead.
When the second period began, the Canadiens had more grit and grind than before, and Cole Caufield evened the score just over five minutes in, snapping in a rebound. Before the halfway mark, the loud, continuous horn blasted yet again as the puck squeaked behind Frederik Andersen.
At first, it was believed to have been tipped off from Caufield’s stick, which led to ‘Cauffey’ chants in the Bell Centre once play resumed. However, it was officially credited instead to Juraj Slafkovsky, who deflected it.
Hurricanes Brick-walled by Canadiens’ Dobes
The Hurricanes sustained pressure throughout the rest of the second period, and even had a five-on-three shorthanded chance from an unlikely pair in Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield, but were unable to put another goal on the board.
As a matter of fact, the Canadiens’ goaltender Jakub Dobes kept them from hopping back on the scoresheet for the rest of the game.
The same couldn’t be said for the Hurricanes, though. A defensive breakdown from K’Andre Miller at the offensive zone blue line led to a speedy chance for Ivan Demidov, who put the puck past Andersen with a wrister.
Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour pulled Andersen out of the net with 4:14 remaining, but the Hurricanes still couldn’t manage to break past Dobes, and it inevitably led to an empty net goal from Jake Evans.
Hurricanes Had the Edge, But Canadiens Were Too Determined to Stop
Throughout the game, the Hurricanes put 43 shots on goal, and Dobes swallowed all but two, getting himself a .953 save percentage. It was the most saves Dobes has had in a single game in his NHL career.
The Hurricanes played strong, kept it even on faceoffs, and dominated in shot volume (43-19) and scoring chances (29-16), but the Canadiens knew they needed a big win to hold position in the playoff picture, and Dobes’ perseverance saw them through for the full 60 minutes.
(The Hurricanes will have to face the Canadiens again on Sunday. Why not check out Marc Dumont’s postgame analysis for the Canadiens’ perspective over on Montreal Hockey Now, as well!)
