Preview: ECF, Game 5 vs. Montreal

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes will try to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final on Friday when they host the Montreal Canadiens for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.

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When: Friday, May 29

Puck Drop: 8:00 p.m. ET

Watch: TNT, truTV, HBO Max; SN, CBC, TVAS

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

Series: 3-1 CAR

The Series So Far...

• Game 1: Seth Jarvis struck in the first minute, but the Canadiens roared back with four first-period goals and cruised to a 6-2 victory.
• Game 2: Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice, including the overtime winner, to give his team a 3-2 win and even the series.
• Game 3: Andrei Svechnikov bagged Carolina's second OT dagger of the series to lift his team to a 3-2 victory and a 2-1 series lead.
• Game 4: Three goals separated by 2:46 in the first period and an 18-save shutout from Frederik Andersen saw the Canes take a 4-0 victory in Montreal.

One At A Time...

• Three dominant performances sit in their rearview, and a potential berth in the Stanley Cup Final looms on the horizon, but the Hurricanes remain ever-focused on "the next game," no matter its standing.
• "The guys are focused. There's one goal here," said Rod Brind'Amour. "There's still so much work ahead of us, and I think you can't look at the big picture. I think we've just done a really nice job of focusing on what's important, which is, now, it's going to be tomorrow, and going about how to win that day. That's the business-like approach. Show up, do your job, and then worry about the next day."
• Carolina is 2-0 in potential close-out contests this postseason, while Montreal is 2-0 when facing elimination (both Game 7s).

In Net...

• Frederik Andersen turned in his third perfect performance of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday, establishing franchise records in both shutouts during a single playoff run (3) and career shutouts by a Hurricanes goaltender (5).
• Now 11-1 in 12 postseason starts, his 1.44 goals against average continues to lead all backstops this postseason.
• Brandon Bussi would likely be the next expected option in the event Andersen needs a break. The first-year backstop wrapped up the regular season on a heater, following up his first set of consecutive losses (0-3-0) with a 6-0-1 run and allowing two or fewer goals in four of those wins.
• Pyotr Kochetkov also remains waiting in the wings. Although he made two conditioning loan starts with Chicago (AHL) in April, following multiple lower-body surgeries this winter, his last NHL action came on Dec. 20.

On The Other Side...

• Backs against the wall, a young Montreal group continues to try to replicate what made them successful in Game 1. "It's just winning a game. One game," said Martin St. Louis when asked how his club can climb out of a 3-1 hole. "You can't look at the mountain, you've just got to look at what's in front of you and stay present."
• After turning in six goals in the series opener, St. Louis' club has scored just four times in 11 periods since. Some of that has been an inability to beat Frederik Andersen, but primarily, it's been an inability to get by a stingy Carolina defense. In the last three outings, they've mustered just 45 shots on goal combined. Carolina had 44 in Game 4 alone.
• Lacking the necessary offense in front of him, goaltender Jakub Dobeš has been the star of the show for the unit. Producing a .917 save percentage while facing an average of 34.3 shots per night in the series, he's given his team a chance to win games.

Injury Updates...

• The Canes currently do not have any injuries at this time.

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes will wear their BLACK uniforms for the contest. They will wear black for every home game and white for every road game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

What's Next After This Game?

• If the Canes win, they are expected to be off on Saturday.
• If the Canes lose, they will fly to Montreal on Saturday ahead of a Game 6 on Sunday.
• Next Game (if necessary): Sunday, May 31 | ECF, Game 6 at Montreal | TIME TBD | How To Watch
• Next Home Game (if necessary): Tuesday, June 2 | ECF, Game 7 vs. Montreal | 8:00 p.m. ET | How To Watch | Tickets | Parking