The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. With the series tied 1-1, this is the Canadiens vs. Hurricanes Game 3 recap.
The Hurricanes controlled the play early, including the only four shots in the first 4:30, unofficially, per the Sportsnet broadcast. The Canadiens caught a break when Carolina defenseman Jalen Chatfield picked up an interference call, which seemed to even out the momentum. Montreal didn’t score on the power play, but they began to touch the puck and finally put pressure on goaltender Frederik Andersen.
Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere opened the scoring near the middle point of the period, assisted by forwards Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski. The Canadians battled back. With 4:32 left in the frame, defenseman Mike Matheson wristed one top corner, glove side, to tie the game. It was assisted by forwards Ivan Demidov and Jake Evans.
With 3:38 remaining in the first, Carolina forward Taylor Hall was given far too much time at the net front. It took three rebounds, but he’d bang it home, with assists credited to forward Jackson Blake and defenseman K’Andre Miller. Montreal defenseman Kaiden Guhle was called for a delayed penalty with less than a minute to go. The score and power play would continue into the second period.
The Canadiens started the second period much better than the first, with the forecheck active from the jump. It resulted in a slashing penalty against the Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook in the opening five minutes of the frame. Montreal made them pay early on the power play with a beautiful give-and-go. Credit defenseman Lane Huston with the goal, assisted by forward Cole Caufield, to tie the game 2-2.
The pace of the game picked up from there, with both teams getting great chances and big saves or blocks. With 7:18 left in the second, Guhle was called for his second penalty of the game, with Carolina’s forecheck seeming to get to him.
There was no scoring for the remainder of the period, but both teams had numerous high-danger chances. With 1:51 on the clock, Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker slammed into Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, knocking him into the net. Montreal forward Jake Evans didn’t stand for it, and they were both called for two-minute minors.
The third period was tightly contested without many shots to begin. Things appeared to change with 11:32 remaining, when the Canadiens scored a nice one-touch beauty. Carolina successfully challenged the play, with Montreal losing the puck offside by the slimmest of margins.
The momentum shifted even further in the Hurricanes’ favor with 9:39 left, when Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson was called for interference. They managed to kill the penalty, but still went over 15 minutes without a shot on goal. Lucky for the home fans, Dobes was sharp, making key stops. Carolina dominated the entire third period, including allowing just two shots on goal.
The teams traded chances in overtime, with Dobes noticeably the key for Montreal. They also caught a break with 7:45 on the clock, when the puck got tied up in the feet of an extra man, but no penalty was called. The Canadiens continued to struggle, including numerous back-to-back icing calls. A neutral zone turnover was the stake in the heart of the home team, leading to Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho tipping home the game-winner.
Believing they had the game-winning third goal, Montreal then hit rock bottom when it was called back, and they eventually lost. Carolina leads the best-of-seven series 2-1. Do the Canadiens have what it takes to rebound after such a disappointment?
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