Taylor Hall scored twice as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-4 at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night, in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Final. Hall’s second goal in the third period gave Carolina a two-goal lead that helped them hold off a late Montreal surge.
Carolina opened the scoring early when Hall converted a pass from Jackson Blake for his first goal of the season. Montreal responded quickly with goals from Zach Bolduc and Nick Suzuki, taking a 2-1 lead less than two minutes after Hall’s strike. The Hurricanes’ fourth line made an impact soon after, as Eric Robinson redirected a Jalen Chatfield shot to tie the game at two.
The first period remained lively, with Canadiens’ Bolduc scoring his second goal during a Montreal power play, putting the hosts ahead 3-2. Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi faced constant pressure but steadied in the second period as the game featured significant special teams action.
Sebastian Aho scored his fourth goal in four games to level the score for Carolina. The Hurricanes’ fourth line struck again when Mark Jankowski netted his first goal of the season, giving Carolina a 4-3 lead heading into the final period. Through 40 minutes, Carolina dominated shots on goal 29-10, showing control despite the close scoreline.
Montreal pushed for an equalizer early in the third. Jordan Martinook was penalized for roughing against Lane Hutson, giving the Canadiens a power play. Chris Kreider and Juraj Slafkovsky both had chances blocked by Bussi, while Suzuki was called for goaltender interference after a collision with Bussi.
Neither team scored in the 4-on-4 play or the ensuing Hurricanes power play. Hall then capitalized on a rebound to score his second goal and extend Carolina’s lead to 5-3 late in the third. Montreal responded with a goal from Slafkovsky, who roofed a shot off a crossbar deflection to cut the deficit to one.
With goalie Drew Dobes pulled for an extra attacker, Carolina focused on defense. Jaccob Slavin denied a Montreal zone entry and quickly transitioned the puck to Aho, who passed cross-ice to Andrei Svechnikov. Svechnikov scored an empty-net goal, his first of the season, sealing the 6-4 victory.
The Hurricanes will head back to Raleigh for their next game on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. Carolina looks to secure a third straight win as they face a Vancouver team expected to struggle this season.
According to Yahoo Sports.
