Canadiens open Eastern Conference Final with Game 1 win over Hurricanes
If the Montreal Canadiens were feeling at all fatigued after their second-round, Game 7 victory on Monday, they sure weren’t showing it.
Juraj Slafkovsky had two goals and an assist while Philip Danault and Cole Caufield provided two points each as the Canadiens topped the No. 1-seed Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Goals came early and often to open this third-round series, as Seth Jarvis scored the game’s first just 33 seconds in. The lead wouldn’t last, as Caufield equalized the score only 27 seconds later, which began a four-goal barrage from the Canadiens in the first period.
Eric Robinson got one back for the Hurricanes to make it a two-goal game in the second period, but Slafkovsky restored the three-goal lead in the third period with a highlight-reel deke past Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen. Slafkovsky later added an empty-net goal in the third.
Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes stopped 24 of 26 shots he faced in the win.
The Canadiens enter Game 2 having stolen home-ice advantage.
