Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens faced the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, hoping to earn a crucial victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Prior to puck drop, it was announced the Canadiens would make one important change, substituting Arber Xhekaj on the third pairing with Jayden Struble.
Before we get going on the recap, I would like to send some praise Carolina’s way, as they featured a bilingual Canadian anthem in the pre-game ceremony. It was an appreciated sign of respect that won’t soon be forgotten.
It was an exciting matchup that saw both teams generate a bevy of scoring chances, but in the end, the Habs emerged with a 6-2 win versus the Hurricanes.
Let’s dive into the highlights!
Necessary Evil
As we’ve discussed on several occasions, it takes a certain amount of adversity before the Canadiens find their rhythm.
This may sound odd, but there’s no denying the team performs better with their backs against the wall.
Carolina provided said adversity when Seth Jarvis found the back of the net just 33 seconds into the first period.
It was at this point that the Habs woke up and decided to put their boots on Carolina’s neck. It started with Cole Caufield‘s goal, which came at 5v5, an important development for Montreal’s best sniper.
BIG GOAL! Cole Caufield immediately responds for the #GoHabsGo.
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 22, 2026
Tie game 1-1. pic.twitter.com/LV26RWbBRg
Flood Gates Activated
The Canadiens did not rest on their laurels, as evidenced by Phillip Danault’s second goal of the playoffs. It was not a 5v5 goal, but it does qualify as an even-strength marker, as the teams were playing 4v4.
DANAULT!#GoHabsGo are now up 2-1 versus the Hurricanes.
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 22, 2026
Everything is happening! pic.twitter.com/qQjZA7mIZ1
Alex Texier, one of the many depth players who have done a great job providing critical offence in the playoffs, was the next to score for the Canadiens. It was his fourth goal of the playoffs.
We must give credit to Kaiden Guhle on the play, as his smart pinch led to the high-danger scoring opportunity.
Make it 3-1 #GoHabsGo!
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 22, 2026
Alexandre Texier finds the back of the net after a smart pinch by Kaiden Guhle. pic.twitter.com/26MDfp0ase
Rookie Impact
Ivan Demidov did not enjoy a very productive first round, and though he was much better in the second round, you’d be hard-pressed to argue he was at his best.
With that in mind, I’d argue he is now reaching his peak form. He’s setting up his teammates with an endless stream of great chances, and they’re bound to start capitalizing on them if the frequency is maintained.
After generating a few good chances, Demidov followed it up with a perfect snipe that gave the Hurricanes netminder no chance, his third springtime goal.
Make it 3-1 #GoHabsGo!
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 22, 2026
Alexandre Texier finds the back of the net after a smart pinch by Kaiden Guhle. pic.twitter.com/26MDfp0ase
Sleeping Giant?
It took them a little while to get going, but the Hurricanes did not simply go quietly into the night.
They scored early in the second period to make it a 4-2 game, simultaneously reminding the Habs that they were not in for an easy series.
It was a frustrating situation for the Canadiens, as Caufield had hit the post mere moments before the Hurricanes scored.
However, it’s also important to remember the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers managed to score just five goals versus the Hurricanes in four games. The fact that Montreal scored four times in one period was incredibly encouraging.
Cole Caufield touche le poteau.. et Robinson marque aussitôt! pic.twitter.com/J1plYW7q34
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 22, 2026
Closing It Out
Even though the Hurricanes were pressing, the Canadiens were the next team to score, when Juraj Slafkovsky took advantage of a great play in transition to extend the lead to 5-2. Believe it or not, it was Slafkovsky’s first goal at 5v5 of the playoffs.
With the goal, Montreal matched Ottawa and Philadelphia’s offensive output throughout their entire series versus Carolina.
But rather than taking four games to reach five goals, it took them just 50 minutes.
The Habs would go on to score a sixth goal, when Slafkovsky hit the ENG, which means they managed to outscore both Philadelphia and Ottawa, but took three fewer games to do so.
What A GOAL!
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 22, 2026
Juraj Slafkovsky makes it 5-2 with a great deke and a perfect finish. #GoHabsGo. pic.twitter.com/RVXTWjovLW
The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Saturday, facing the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.
