2025-26 Regular Season, Game 71 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens

Last Game: There wasn't much suspense throughout the Carolina Hurricanes' victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon. The second stop on the Canes' three-game trip was a breeze, thanks in large part to their power play making the top-ranked penalty kill look bad. Sebastian Aho opened the scoring 47 seconds into the contest, snapping a shot from above the dot that hit Connor Dewar's stick and skipped past Stuart Skinner. It was the only goal of the opening frame, but the Canes exploded for three more in the second. Nikolaj Ehlers, who drew the opening power play, unleashed a wicked clapper from the point, beating Skinner cleanly on the power play to double the lead. The fourth line grinded for a goal midway through, getting the puck to Jalen Chatfield at the point. Chatfield's shot hit something on the way in before ringing the post and hitting the back of the net, making it 3-0. Late in the period, Ehlers showcased excellent patience, throwing a blind pass through a few Pittsburgh skates to find Seth Jarvis in front of the net for the team's third PPG of the contest. The Penguins didn't crack Frederik Andersen until late in regulation. Bryan Rust put a perfect pass on Egor Chinakhov's stick as he bolted to the net, giving him space to put it home. That's all they would get. Mark Jankowski scored into the empty net, wrapping a relatively painless 5-1 victory in Pittsburgh. Jarvis had a goal and two assists, Ehlers had one and one, and Andersen made 18 stops to earn his fifth straight win and the third straight for the group. 

Injury Report

Shayne Gostisbehere: Once again, the team took Monday off, so we don't have an update, though I suspect we won't see him in the lineup until the team returns home this weekend.

The Opponent: Montreal Canadiens (38-21-10, 86 Points; 3rd in the Atlantic Division)

Last Meeting: The Canes and the Habs collided in Raleigh to open 2026 at the Lenovo Center. Montreal got off to a fast start, getting goals from Nick Suzuki and Oliver Kapanen during the opening 4:06 of the game. The Canes stormed back with three unanswered before the end of the period. Nikolaj Ehlers scored on the power play. Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov scored at 5-on-5, giving the Canes a trio in just over 4 minutes to take a 3-2 lead after 20. Alexander Nikishin doubled the lead on the power play 54 seconds into the second period, and that's about when it all fell apart. Montreal scored four unanswered goals to take a 6-4 lead midway through the third period. Aho scored his second of the game late to pull within one, but Lane Huston scored into the empty net to complete a 7-5 Montreal win. The loss for Carolina ruined an all-world performance from Aho, who scored twice and added three assists for his second-career five-point game. Ehlers and Svechnikov had a goal and two assists each.

Since We Last Met: The Montreal Canadiens are a playoff team on paper and by most metrics, yet their spot in the postseason is far from guaranteed. One bad slide could move them from third in the division to the outside looking in. The Canadiens enter tonight's contest as the third team in the Atlantic, tied in points with Boston and just two ahead of the Red Wings, who're the first team out in the East. They need to get hot, and the Canes hope it isn't at their expense. If you know one thing about the Canadiens, you know that they can score goals at a breakneck pace. We saw that firsthand in Raleigh in January. They're just ahead of the Hurricanes in goals per game (3.51), and their power play is lethal. Their top five scorers are on their top unit, led by Nick Suzuki (61 assists, 85 points) and Cole Caufield (43 goals, 74 points). Lane Huston is tied for third in scoring for defensemen (69 points). Ivan Demidov (53 points) and Oliver Kapanen (20 goals) are lighting up the league as rookies. They can score goals with ease. However, they also allow them with regularity. They're near the bottom in goals allowed per game and penalty killing. None of their goalies have a .900-plus save percentage or a sub-2.70 GAA. I think they should be a playoff team, but the competition to get in has gotten a lot tougher.

Stories to Watch

1. Finishing the road trip

Sunday's win ensured that the Carolina Hurricanes will return to Raleigh with a winning record on this trip. However, 3-0-0 looks and feels a lot better than 2-1-0 or 2-0-1. Settling for one point wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but it would be so much nicer to go out with a big performance, especially with three days before their next game. It starts with Brandon Bussi looking much better than he did when the Habs were in Raleigh, and it trickles down to the rest of the team giving him proper goal support.

2. Montreal needs these points desperately

When you're at risk of losing your spot in the playoffs, you're willing to do whatever it takes to keep it. That's what the Hurricanes should be prepared to face tonight. The Canadiens are an offensive wagon with a knack for getting a squeaky wheel defensively. Centre Bell is a notoriously tough place to play in, and it should only be tougher with Montreal's current standing. This will become a common theme for the Canes down the final stretch, needing to match their opponent's desperation to earn two points.