Early onslaught fuels Montreal’s victory
The Montreal Canadiens opened the Eastern Conference Final with a 6‑2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, erupting for four goals in the first period.
Cole Caufield and Phillip Danault struck within the first four minutes, and Alexandre Texier and Ivan Demidov added to the barrage before the period ended.
Juraj Slafkovskiy, who had been quiet early, doubled the lead in the third period, while Jakub Dobes turned aside 24 shots to preserve the lead.
Carolina’s goaltender Frederik Andersen made 16 saves, but the team could not recover from the early deficit, a challenge compounded by an 11‑day layoff that left them rusty compared to Montreal’s fresh legs.
Eric Robinson managed a consolation goal for the Hurricanes, but the team fell to 1‑13 in Eastern Conference Final games, a statistic that underscores their historical struggles in the series.
The series now shifts to Raleigh, where the Hurricanes hope to overturn the early momentum and avoid falling further behind in the historic matchup.