2024-25 Regular Season, Game 72 Preview: Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens

The Carolina Hurricanes suffered a rare regulation loss at home to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night, falling 3-1. Old friend Michael Bunting was the first to break through, scoring with five seconds left on the power play after Pyotr Kochetkov wasn't able to find a loose puck. Luke Evangelista doubled the lead early in the second, scoring on a breakaway. Evangelista made Kochetkov look silly, freezing him by faking to his backhand before skating around him and scoring into the empty net on his forehand. Taylor Hall quickly responded, scoring his fourth goal in two games by burning the defense and beating Juuse Saros on the power play. The Canes were outplaying the Predators but weren't getting anything past Saros. Evangelista redirected a shot to score his second of the night, providing the insurance marker as the Predators held the Canes in check in the third. Saros finished with 34 stops to earn the victory.

The Opponent: Montreal Canadiens (33-29-9, 74 Points- 5th in the Atlantic Division)

Last Meeting: For the first time in a long time, the Canadiens beat the Hurricanes in regulation when they visited Montreal a month ago. The Canes' offense was thoroughly frustrated by the Habs' defense. Juraj Slafkovsky and Patrik Laine scored in the first period, Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson added power-play goals in the final 40 minutes, and Samuel Montembeault stopped all 20 shots he faced in the 4-0 win. Suzuki and Laine had a goal and two assists each. 

Since We Last Met: The Canadiens hold the slimmest of margins over a handful of teams vying for the final Wild Card spot. They failed to extend their lead on Thursday night, losing 6-4 to the Philadelphia Flyers during the first half of a back-to-back. Cole Caufield scored his 34th goal and Lane Hutson recorded two assists, extending his lead for the most points by a rookie this season (56) over Macklin Celebrini. Jakob Dobes was in the net for Montreal in Philly, meaning Samuel Montembeault will get the call after shutting out the Canes in Montreal on Friday. Despite holding onto their playoff spot for the time being, the Canadiens are going through it right now. They've lost seven of their last ten, going 3-3-4, so while they're earning points, they're leaving a lot on the table. Part of their problem has been their solid offense being unable to counter their below-average defense. They're in the bottom ten in the league in scoring defense, which is only getting worse after allowing six goals to the Flyers last night. Still, there are several offensive weapons to watch out for. They aren't a team to be taken lightly. 

Stories of the Night

1. Welcome Back, Mr. Svechnikov!

While we'll wait for official confirmation from the head coach, all signs point to Andrei Svechnikov returning to the lineup tonight. Should tonight be the night, it'll be a much-welcomed return. Svechnikov has been out since playing against Winnipeg a few weeks ago, getting hurt near the end of the game. The timing is perfect because Svechnikov really likes playing against the Canadiens. In 15 games, he has ten goals and 15 points, including a hat trick last season in Raleigh. Regardless of where he is in the lineup, getting a player of Svechnikov's caliber back on the ice is a huge win for the Hurricanes.

2. Montreal Needs These Points

While they've lost seven of ten, the Canadiens have earned points in just as many with four extra-time losses. As they hunt for a playoff spot, every point is valuable. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are firmly entrenched in the Top 3 of the Metro. It would be easy to become complacent right now. Instead, the Canes need to find that same energy they had last season when teams were trying to fight for playoff spots. The Canes matched their desperation and won a few big games. As their magic number continues to shrink in the pursuit of a seventh straight playoff berth, the Canes need to regain that edge after losing it against Nashville.