2023-24 Regular Season, Game 75: Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens (Postgame)

The Hurricanes finished up their March slate in Montreal on Saturday night against the Canadiens. Having already clinched a spot in the postseason, the Canes turned their eyes to some bigger prizes as they continued to chase down the Rangers in the division and the President's Trophy. It would be a battle between the team's hottest lines, as Sebastian Aho and Nick Suzuki led their respective groups in the final meeting between teams moving in opposite directions in the standings.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

None

2nd Period

CAR (9:33)- Jordan Staal (9) SH (assisted by Teuvo Teravainen (27))

3rd Period

CAR (3:42)- Sebastian Aho (33) PP (assisted by Seth Jarvis (33) & Jake Guentzel (43))

CAR (17:18)- Seth Jarvis (29) EN (assisted by Jake Guentzel (44) & Sebastian Aho (52))

My Thoughts

The Hurricanes' shutout streak is now a little over 120 minutes as Pyotr Kochetkov got back into the swing of things with a big confidence-boosting win. It was tight for a while, but Carolina eventually pulled away by playing another stout defensive game. It's not like Montreal had been playing poorly, either. Montreal came in with consecutive wins over Colorado and Philadelphia behind their scorching top line. Tonight, nothing was getting past Kochetkov. Pair that with excellent special teams from the Canes, and it was a done deal. They scored with the man advantage and disadvantage, turning the game to the Canes' side for good with Jordan Staal's shorty in the second period. 

Just like their last meeting in Raleigh, I was very interested in the battle between the Aho line and the Suzuki line. Unlike the last time, Jake Guentzel entered the equation. The Canes' trio was once again solid. They weren't rewarded until the third period when Sebastian Aho scored on the power play in the third period, and his linemates added the assists. They came together again on the empty-net goal scored by Seth Jarvis. They all finished with multi-point games, with Aho setting a new career-high in points by earning his 84th and 85th of the season. 

I do not compliment the opponents often, especially when the opponent is Montreal, but the Canadiens have a bright future. While they were on the wrong side of the battle with the Aho line, Montreal's trio of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky is going to be good for a long time. Suzuki is a natural leader who can get it done at both ends of the ice. Caufield is a natural scorer with a wicked shot. Slafkovsky has been one of the most improved players throughout the season. He entered the night on a nine-game point streak, and while it came to an end in the shutout, he's starting to shed the "bust" label that some have placed on him. They have plenty of excellent talent in the pipeline, and I really like Samuel Montembeault's game, so if he can assert himself as the next guy in the crease, Montreal could cause some problems in a few years.

Once the calendar turns to April, no team will have recorded more points in March than the Carolina Hurricanes. In 15 games, the Canes went 11-3-1, leading the league with 23 points. Fourteen of the 15 games came in 24 days, with Carolina earning 23 of a possible 28 points. The top line and the goaltending have been big reasons for that. The only bummer is that they haven't been able to make up any ground in the division race with the Rangers. Entering April, the Canes are on a heater. They're more than ready for the rigors of the postseason.

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Teuvo Teravainen- 1 assist

The defining moment of tonight's win came on the team's first penalty kill midway through the second period. After Kochetkov made a pair of huge stops, Teravainen forced the Canadiens out of the zone and made a diving play to get the puck to Staal, leading to a short-handed breakaway goal for the captain. Teravainen sold out to make sure his team broke the ice on the road.

2nd Star- Sebastian Aho- 1 goal, 1 assist

March was an incredible month for the Hurricanes' superstar. He finished in the Top 10 in scoring with 23 points, tied for the team lead with ten goals, along with Jarvis, and created chemistry with one of the biggest trade acquisitions in team history. Tonight, he helped take over in the third period, scoring on the power play to set a new career-high in points before adding an assist on the empty netter. While I think 100 points is a little ambitious, it's not out of the question just yet.

1st Star- Pyotr Kochetkov- 26-save shutout (4th this season, 8th overall)

I won't lie. I was a little concerned about Kochetkov after consecutive losses in his last two starts. With Andersen setting the bar incredibly high with his performances since returning, Kochetkov hadn't quite met the challenge with his recent play. Tonight, all of that went out the window. He was hands down the Canes' best player, stopping 26 shots to earn the team back-to-back shutouts. He has momentarily moved into the top spot for the lowest GAA this season, dropping it to 2.38 with the shutout. 

Postseason Watch- With tonight's win, the Hurricanes ensured home ice for at least the first round. The only way to potentially guarantee it in the second round would be to win the division. The likelihood of that is dwindling as the regular season as the Rangers continue to win. They picked up an 8-5 win over the Coyotes on Saturday behind a hat trick and two assists from Alexis Lafreniere. New York remains three points ahead with a game in hand.

Washington has jumped into the third spot in the Metropolitan Division after earning a point while the Flyers lost in regulation. The Capitals left a second point on the board, failing to capitalize on a four-minute power play in overtime before losing in the shootout to the Bruins. The Flyers lost 5-1 to Chicago, and the Islanders lost 4-1 to the Lightning. New York's hopes are dwindling, while the Flyers are now the second Wild Card team, leading Detroit by two points. 

Up Next- The Canes won't play again on Thursday night when they host the Boston Bruins. It'll be the first half of a back-to-back, with Washington coming in right behind them. Next Sunday, they'll play their final home game of the regular season, hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets before a season-ending four-game road trip.