2024-25 Regular Season, Game 81 Preview: Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens

The Carolina Hurricanes concluded their home schedule on Sunday night, dropping the second half of a back-to-back to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canes controlled the first period, but Pontus Holmberg scored with 16.5 seconds left in the frame to steal the lead. The Core 4 took over from there. Auston Matthews buried a one-timer midway through the second to double the lead before William Nylander redirected a pass 1:25 into the third to make it 3-0. Sebastian Aho broke the shutout on the power play in the third, finishing Seth Jarvis's cross-seam feed for his 29th of the season. John Tavares put the game away late in the period to seal a 4-1 victory for the Leafs. All four Core 4 members found the scoresheet, while Morgan Rielly (3A) and Max Domi (2A) had multi-point nights. 

The Opponent: Montreal Canadiens (39-31-11, 89 Points- 5th in the Atlantic Division/WC2)

Last Meeting: The Canadiens visited Raleigh in late March for the second meeting of the season. Josh Anderson scored 23 seconds into the game after being left alone in front of the net. Jackson Blake responded immediately, scoring 18 seconds later with a little help from Kaiden Guhle. The score remained 1-1 until Taylor Hall struck on the power play, breaking the deadlock with 6:14 left in the second period. Sebastian Aho added to the lead just over two minutes later, extending it to two goals before the end of the frame. Andrei Svechnikov, who returned after a seven-game absence, scored into the empty-net to put the Canadiens away in a 4-1 victory. Blake recorded his first three-point game as the top line combined for six points. Montreal couldn't find an answer for Frederik Andersen, who only needed to make 14 stops in the win.

Since We Last Met: The Canadiens have been hanging on for dear life to the second Wild Card spot. Despite two chances to clinch, they've fallen short in consecutive games, losing in overtime to the Maple Leafs and in a shootout to the Blackhawks. They've lost three straight after winning six in a row following their loss to the Canes in Raleigh. Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets have continued to surge, making Montreal's season finale their most meaningful game in years. The Canadiens are on the verge of clinching a playoff berth, but they have work left to do. To clinch, Montreal will need its top line to do big things. Nick Suzuki has clinched a point-per-game season, entering the final with a team-high 87 points. Cole Caufield is a hat trick away from a 40-goal season, leading the team with 37 goals. Lane Hutson has the inside track for the Calder Trophy, leading all rookies with 59 assists and 65 points. Juraj Slafkovsky rounds out the top line with 50 points. Whether it's Montreal or Columbus that makes the playoffs, it'll be an excellent story.

Stories of the Game

1. Ivan Demidov (Owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome)

Does this joke make sense? Probably not, but I laughed, and that's all that matters. The big news in Montreal recently has been the arrival of top prospect Ivan Demidov. A teammate of Alexander Nikishin, Demidov made an immediate splash by assisting on Montreal's opening goal before scoring the first of his career in the first period. He's going to get a lot of the attention tonight, so everyone needs to be prepared for a lot of Demidov talk. 

2. One Point

Tonight's game means the world to the Montreal Canadiens. All they need to qualify for the playoffs is one point. They've failed in their attempts to clinch and haven't gotten any help. With the Canes likely to start resting some of their starters, the door is open for the Canadiens to get the job done against the Canes. Meanwhile, the Canes need one point to reach the 100-point plateau for the fourth straight season. It's a minor accomplishment paling in comparison to what Montreal is trying to achieve, but we need something to keep us invested.