Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens faced the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night, looking to earn a 2-0 advantage in the Eastern Conference Final.
It was a very hard-fought battle, which saw the Hurricanes outshoot the Canadiens 26-12, but in the end, Carolina emerged with a 3-2 overtime win.
Let’s dive into the highlights!
Working Off
As per tradition, the Hurricanes had to find their rhythm before the Canadiens decided to wake up.
Thanks to an early goal from Eric Robinson, the Habs were given the adversity needed to respond in Game 2. Robinson scored via a deflected shot less than three minutes into the first period.
Une rondelle déviée déjoue Dobes… et Robinson fait 1 à 0! pic.twitter.com/eHbeNQgc9J
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 23, 2026
Awaited Response
All things considered, the Canadiens did not enjoy their most productive outing from an offensive standpoint, putting just five shots on net in the first 40 minutes of play.
Fortunately for head coach Martin St-Louis, veteran Josh Anderson scored his fourth goal of the playoffs midway through the first period, via a very nice passing play that also featured Kaiden Guhle and Phillip Danault.
While Montreal’s first line struggles to find consistency, it must be said their depth players have done a very good job providing offence when the team needs it most.
1er TIR, 1er BUT! 🎯 Josh Anderson égalise la marque! pic.twitter.com/XvsMFAXxT7
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 23, 2026
Want It Back
The Hurricanes took a well-deserved 2-1 lead late in the second period after Nikolaj Ehlers fooled Jakub Dobes with a shot from distance.
The deke and the pre-shot movement was fantastic, but there’s no doubt Montreal’s netminder could have done a better job in the tracking and positioning department.
With that in mind, Dobes was clearly not the reason why Montreal had a difficult night, as he was not responsible for the lack of offensive consistency.
Tout un jeu de Nikolaj Ehlers pour donner les devants aux «Canes»! pic.twitter.com/0jRy20zqTj
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 24, 2026
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
It wouldn’t be Canadiens hockey if there was not a heavy dose of stress and anxiety involved.
On Saturday night, the Habs were clearly the second-best team for most of the game, but Carolina’s incredible effort seemed all for naught, especially once Anderson scored his second goal of the game to tie things up midway through third period.
It was a fantastic individual effort, epitomizing Montreal’s affinity for finding a new hero every game. The goal also completely silenced the Hurricanes fans, who were understandably annoyed with their team’s lack success.
Anderson beats Andersen and we have a tied game!
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 24, 2026
A great individual effort by Josh Anderson to pounce on his own rebound.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/sPn4yXboJL
Next Goal Wins
With the teams tied at 2-2, the game entered overtime, where Ehlers scored his second goal of the game to secure the victory for the Hurricanes, tying the series at one game a piece in the process.
Nikolaj Ehlers donne la victoire aux Hurricanes! pic.twitter.com/2NOxhYlmKe
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 24, 2026
The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Monday night, facing the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre. Game 3 is scheduled for 8 pm ET.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.
