Recap: Second-Period Surge Pushes Canes Past Canadiens

RALEIGH, N.C. - Buoyed by Jackson Blake's first career three-point game and Taylor Hall's third consecutive contest with a power-play goal, the Carolina Hurricanes returned to the win column with a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Lenovo Center.

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Friday's fireworks kicked off early, with both teams scoring on their first shot of the contest. Montreal grabbed the early lead on Josh Anderson's goal 23 seconds in, while Blake knotted things back up 18 seconds later after his deflection pinballed its way past Sam Montembeault.

Following the first-minute frenzy, the scoring quieted down until Hall and Sebastian Aho sent back-to-back bolts of electricity through Lenovo Center with two tucks in 2:26 late in the second period. Hall's eventual game-winner arrived midway through Carolina's third power play as he ripped home a one-timer from the slot at 13:44. Aho then capitalized from the right circle on a 2-on-1 with Seth Jarvis, finishing off a perfect saucer dish from No. 24 to double his team's lead.

Up by a pair in the final frame, Carolina weathered a Montreal push until Andrei Svechnikov closed out the win with an empty-netter with a minute to play. Goaltender Frederik Andersen finished with 14 saves on 15 shots, picking up his sixth win in a row.

Stats & Standouts

• Carolina and Montreal scored once apiece in the first 41 seconds on Friday, which is tied with Pittsburgh/Buffalo on Oct. 27, 1976, for the 10th-fastest two goals by both teams to start a game in NHL history.
• Friday's game also marked the fifth time on record (since 2009-10) that the Hurricanes and their opponent have each scored on their first shot of the game, as well as the eighth time this season that has occurred in the NHL.
• Jackson Blake's first career three-point game was the first by a Canes rookie since Morgan Geekie did so on March 8, 2020. The 21-year-old's 28 points rank 10th among NHL rookies and his 12 tallies are the ninth-most by a first-year skater this season.
• Blake's goal was his first since Jan. 23, ending a tough-luck 22-game goal drought. Finding twine 41 seconds into the contest, his goal is the third-fastest to start a game by a Hurricanes player this season, trailing Brent Burns (0:35 on Jan. 2) and Jalen Chatfield (0:30 on Nov. 20).
• Sebastian Aho scored to move into a tie for the team lead in goals (27). Aho has led the Hurricanes in goals in every season since 2017-18, recording 35 or more in each of the last four 82-game campaigns.
• Seth Jarvis, who also boasts 27 goals this season, posted a pair of assists for his 10th multi-point performance this season, which is the second-most among active Hurricanes behind Aho (15).
• Taylor Hall's second-period strike stretched his goal-scoring streak to three games - his longest such run since the 2022-23 season. He also has the last four power-play goals for the Hurricanes, dating back to March 15 at Philadelphia.
• Hall became the fourth player in franchise history to score a goal during his 900th career game, joining Lee Stempniak, Rod Brind’Amour and Doug Jarvis. The 33-year-old has recorded 283 goals, 451 assists and 734 points through that milestone - good for second among all skaters from his draft class.
• Frederik Andersen has now won six straight starts for the second time this season and the 12th time in his career. His career-long win streak stands at eight, achieved during his first eight games with the Hurricanes from Oct. 14 to Nov. 3, 2021.
• Just eight days after achieving the fifth-longest "Ironman" streak in NHL history, Brent Burns passed Garry Unger for the fourth-longest such streak on Friday as his run of consecutive games played hit 915.

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour drawing a comparison to earlier this week and discussing his team overcoming some early adversity...

"It was almost the exact same game as (Tuesday against Nashville), except we weren't able to score the other night. Tonight, we were able to get that first one right back after that first shift they capitalized on. We were able to turn the page right away with the scoring right away to tie it up. I think that was a huge part of the game."

Taylor Hall echoing a similar assessment and touching on his personal milestone...

"It's nice to get the win and play pretty much the way that we played the other night against Nashville. It's nice to have Svech back, you see what kind of asset he is and what he can bring to our game. Once he gets up and running, it's pretty scary. It was a really good win. 900 games now [for me], I'm getting up there. It's special to do that with these guys, and I'm having a blast, as you can probably tell. It's a cool night for me. It's not 1,000 and it's not 1,500, but it's something I'll remember for a while."

Taylor Hall on his recent run of goals on the man advantage...

"I didn't have many power-play goals before I came here. Really, we've talked it through, we've had a ton of meetings, we're on the same page as much as we can on the power play and I think we're starting to click. The spot where I scored that goal from tonight is not my normal spot, but we're interchanging, we're playing hockey and having some principles in place, but letting ourselves make plays, which is where you want to get to."

Jackson Blake after snapping his 22-game goal-less drought...

"That's probably that's the best bounce you're going to get, right? Off of a skate and then their guy puts it in the net. That one felt really good. Obviously, I thought I was playing the right way for the most part of the last 20 games. It feels good to get rewarded a little bit there."

What's Next?

The Canes are scheduled to practice on Saturday and will return to game action on Sunday, hosting the New York Islanders.

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