2024-25 Regular Season, Game 58 Preview: Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens

The Carolina Hurricanes returned from the break in less-than-spectacular fashion, allowing four goals in the first period to fall into a deep hole almost immediately. Alex Steeves, Pontus Holmberg, David Kampf, and John Tavares each got one past Pyotr Kochetkov in the opening 20 minutes, though the fault primarily sat with the group in front of him. After a scoreless second period, the Canes' offense finally decided to join the fun. Shayne Gostisbehere finally broke through Alex Stolarz, finishing a perfect pass from Sebastian Aho. Then, Andrei Svechnikov and Jaccob Slavin struck 20 seconds apart to add tension to a game that had been very one-sided. Unfortunately, the Canes couldn't find the tying goal, conceding empty-net goals to Auston Matthews and Holmberg in a 6-3 loss in Toronto. Svechnikov and Gostisbehere finished with a goal and an assist each in the loss. 

The Opponent: Montreal Canadiens (26-26-5, 57 Points- 7th in the Atlantic Division)

While they sit near the bottom of their division, the Montreal Canadiens are moving in the right direction on the ice. The end of their rebound is nearing the horizon. They're still alive in the Wild Card race, as is just about everyone else in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens feature a two-headed monster up front. Captain Nick Suzuki leads the team with 54 points, while Cole Caufield has 27 points and 50 points. They added two big pieces, too. Patrik Laine has bounced around a little but has seemingly found a home in Montreal. In 29 games this season, Laine has 13 goals, 11 of which have come on the power play. Also, rookie defenseman Lane Hutson has taken the league by storm. Hutson leads all rookies with 39 assists and 42 points, putting himself firmly in the Calder Trophy discussion. One thing still remains an issue for Montreal, preventing them from getting over the hump. They've allowed the fourth most goals in the league this season. Samuel Montembeault was named the third goalie for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, though he never got any ice time. Montembeault has gotten the lion's share of the workload, starting 41 of the team's 57 games, and his numbers don't jump off the page. This is the last problem for the Canadiens to solve before they're ready to return to the postseason.

Last Season's Meetings: The Canes swept the season series with the Habs last season, winning all three contests. They first met in Raleigh right after Christmas and Andrei Svechnikov was the story. The game was back-and-forth for most of the night, with Montreal responding to every goal the Canes scored. Late in the third, Andrei Svechnikov broke the tie and added the empty-net goal to secure his fourth career hat trick in a 5-3 victory. Montreal was back in Raleigh in early March as Frederik Andersen made his triumphant return from his blood-clotting issue. He allowed a goal early but shut down the Habs from there. Brady Skjei scored twice, and Andersen finished with 24 stops in a 4-1 win. The Canes made their lone trip to Montreal to close out March. This time, Pyotr Kochetkov was the man of the night, stopping all 26 shots he faced in a 3-0 win. Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho had a goal and assist each and Jake Guentzel added two helpers.

Stories of the Night

1. Making it Double Digits

It is well-documented that Carolina has owned Montreal since the Sebastian Aho offer sheet. The Canes haven't lost in regulation to the Canadiens since 2018-19, going 11-0-1 since the start of the 2019-20 season. To that end, the Canes have won nine straight against the Canadiens, outscoring them 36-10. After how poorly their first game back went, the Canes really need to rely on what has made them successful against Montreal for the last several years. 

2. Two Exciting Rookies Battle in Montreal

Jackson Blake isn't as entrenched in the Calder Trophy battle as Montreal's Lane Hutson, but he's serving an important role with the group. Blake has spent a lot of time in the Top 6 for the Canes, playing next to Aho and Rantanen before the break. He fell to the Kotkaniemi line on Saturday, though that's hardly a step back. For Hutson, he has jumped into a big role very quickly for Montreal. He's now relied upon to provide more offense. His defensive game has lacked as a result, so keeping him deep in his zone is the only way to negate his playmaking abilities.