In-Game Notes: Carolina Hurricanes vs Montreal Canadiens

Staal and Hurricanes finish at home with 2-1 SO win over Canadiens

 

The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in a shootout at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday night.It was captain Eric Staal’s winning goal that not only gave the Hurricanes a win at...

In-Game Notes:

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Montreal Canadiens for the final home game at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday night.

The Hurricanes are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games while Les Habitants come in at 3-3-4 and on the end of a back-to-back set after beating the Tampa Bay Lighning 5-2 on Wednesday night.

Cam Ward starts again for Carolina following a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.

Both teams are playing for pride tonight and should put together an emotional and energetic game.

Puck drop in five minutes.

1st period:

 

• Hurricanes win the faceoff and Eric Staal and Chad LaRose get a quick shot on Canadiens goaltender Peter Budaj
• PK Subban takes a penalty and Hurricanes get an early PP opportunity
• Carolina moving the puck well and getting shots on goal during the extra-man set-up - still 0-0 with 16:26 to play
• Montreal''s Gabriel Dumont sends Tim Brent into the photographers bench and is greeted by Hurricanes' Derek Joslin who didn't take kindly to his teammate getting dumped
• Joslin heads to the penalty box and the Habs will have their first PP of the game
• Play is going back and forth as both teams make changes
• A lot of PP opportunities already as both teams are keeping the puck moving but can't generate much offense yet
• Hurricanes swarming around Budaj on the PP but can't beat the Habs goalie yet
• Skinner and Ruutu getting good chances that Budaj turns away
• Even with the PP chances Montreal outshooting Carolina 6-5  - still 0-0 score with 6:51 to play
• Canadiens continue to find ways to get shots on Ward who has to stay sharp as Montreal now has 10 shots against
• Hurricanes seemed to be getting pushed off the puck easily during the latter part of the period
• Still scoreless with less than a minute to play

End of 1st period: Carolina 0, Montreal 0 

Interesting notes:

Carolina is 5-6-3 in previous 14 games when neither team scores in the opening period

Montreal is 5-6-2 in previous 13 games when neither team scores in the opening period.

A wash more or less.


2nd period:

• Period starts with Hurricanes trying to break into the Montreal zone but LaRose takes a hooking penalty and will be shorthanded after not even a full minute of play in the period
• Max Pacioretty lets a shot go that beats Ward but hits the crossbar as Montreal continues on the PP
• Ruutu with a steal and a chance to score on Budaj but can't convert it
• At the other end, Blake Geoffrion scores on a wraparound at 4:32 to put Montreal ahead 1-0
• Montreal continues to dominate puck possession and outshooting Carolina 14-8 - leading 1-0 with 13:02 to play
• Tim Brent dumps Aaron Palushaj into the photographer's booth - Palushaj serves Montreal penalty for too many men on the ice - Hurricanes on the PP again
• LaRose jams his rebound into the net to tie the game 1-1 at 10:02
• Carolina worked the puck around until LaRose had the chance to put it away while sitting on the crease in front of Budaj
• LaRose leading a lot of the Hurricanes offensive chances along with linemates Jiri Tlusty and Eric Staal
• Hurricanes' closing the gap as they have outshot the Canadiens over the last four minutes
• Budaj continues to stone the Hurricanes and is sharp on a wraparound slider from Staal - 1-1 with 6:10 remaining
• Brent dumps Dumont as payback from first period hit
• Palushaj tries to start something between the benches and is called for roughing - Hurricanes on PP again
• As the Hurricanes are on the PP, Skinner takes a stick to the face - no penalty
• Justin Faulk takes a shot from the point that is blocked and breaks a stick and Montreal's Tomas Plekanec gets a breakaway on Ward who makes the sprawling pad save - still 1-1 with 2:40 to play
• Line of Ruutu, Skinner, Jokinen continuing to create chances to score on Budaj but can't finish it
• Play entering final minute as Staal's line pressure the Habs defense 
• Ruttu and Skinner have the last chance to put the Hurricanes ahead but the puck doesn't make it through the crowd in front of the net

 End of 2nd period: Carolina 1, Montreal 1

Interesting note - Hurricanes got back on the board and outshoot Montreal 13-8 for the period

3rd Period:

• First four minutes of play highlighting Carolina Pressure in the Montreal zone but the Canadiens are countering - easily enough into the neutral zone - score still tied 1-1 with 15:21 to play
• Skinner, Ruutu, and Jokinen continue to great some great scoring opportunities 
• Staal, Tlusty, LaRose get a great chance as Tlusty's shot is stopped by Budaj who gets a pad on it
• Subban tosses Dwyer and the Hurricanes are on the PP with 12:15 to play
•  Hurricanes moving the puck well on the PP and get some great looks as McBain gets a shot that is blocked before it gets to Budaj
• As the Canadiens penalty ends, Subban upends Jaroslav Spacek and Carolina is on the PP again - still 1-1 with under 10 minutes to play
• LaRose helps to break up a shorthanded break by the Canadiens - taking a beating this period after getting hit earlier
• Skinner gets dumped while setting a play up behind the Montreal net - lands on the back of the net hard with a wince
• As play regenerates in the neutral zone Brandon Sutter feathers a pass to Brent who rattles on of Budaj's mask - still 1-1- with 6:34 to play
• Canadiens get some of their own opportunities to take the lead but Ward is sharp in his net as Andrei Markov can't get the puck past him
• Pat Dwyer puts a shot on Budaj at the other end  as both teams trade shots as the period enters the final five minutes of play
• Skinner hovering around the net like a vulture and gets a shot on that Budaj makes a pad save on- tied 1-1 with 3:02 to play
• Spacek called for holding and Montreal gets a great opportunity this late in the period
• Staal picks up a loose puck at the blue line and heads up ice with the breakaway and is hauled down
• Both teams playing 4-on-4 with 2;36 to play
• Just as play transitions to the neutral zone LaRose is called for tripping - Hurricanes on the PK
• A lot of open ice with Montreal holding the 4-on-3 advantage
• Carolin killing first part of the penalty well enough 
• All 17,836 on hand cheering "Let's go 'Canes" as play is in final minute of play
• Hurricanes' Tim Gleason penalized for tripping with 27.6 seconds remaining and Montreal has the 4-on-3 advantage again
• Sutter sets up LaRose with a great pass and puts him alone with Budaj - the Montreal keeper wins that battle again 
• Time runs out and we're going to overtime
• Montreal maintaining good puck control on the PP but Sutter tips it down ice as Staal comes in to help on the PK
• Ward makes two big save on Plekanec and Staal tries to dangle it along the Canadiens blue line
• Hurricanes holding off numerous advances by the Canadiens during overtime as time winds down
• Ward makes a big save with less than a second to play - going to shootout next
• After first rounds of shooters - 0-0
• After two rounds of shooters - 0-0
• Former Hurricane Erik Cole rings it off the iron as Eric Staal comes up to finish it
• And he does it - Staal and the Hurricanes win their final home game of the season in a SO

Final score: Carolina 2, Montreal 1

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