Canadiens hope to continue road dominance in Game 2 of East Final

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes and their faithful tailgating fans may want to roll out a red, white and blue carpet with a CH logo on it, cook up some poutine instead of barbecue, start chanting "Ole, ole, ole" and "Go Habs Go," and maybe even unfurl a sign outside Lenovo Center that reads "Bienvenue a la maison" for when the Montreal Canadiens arrive at the arena Saturday.

Making the Canadiens feel at home could be the Hurricanes' ticket to getting even in the Eastern Conference Final when they play Game 2 here (7 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC).

Quite clearly, the Canadiens thrive in a hostile, road environment. They have all season and all throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including Game 1 on Thursday, when they silenced most of the 18,723 in the building by scoring four times in a 10:32 span in the first period on their way to a 6-2 win.

"I don't think it's one thing," Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said when asked why the team has been so successful on the road success, particularly in the playoffs. "I feel like it's probably a little confidence for how the season went for us on the road. I think we believe."

Montreal is 7-2 on the road in the playoffs after finishing the regular season as best road team in the Eastern Conference at 24-9-8. Their 24 wins and 56 points were tied with the Dallas Stars for second in the NHL behind the Colorado Avalanche's 29 and 63.

The Canadiens won the same number of games at home as they did on the road (24) in the regular season, but at home, they lost six more in regulation (15). They scored nine more goals on the road (144-135) and their power play was 28.2 percent versus 17.8 percent at home.

In winning seven of nine road games in the playoffs, the Canadiens have a plus-12 goal differential (33-21) and a power play clicking at 32.0 percent. At home in the playoffs, they're 2-4 with a minus-3 goal differential and are 17.2 percent on the power play.

Nick Suzuki has points in all nine road playoff games, 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in total. He is the fifth player in NHL history, and second in 27 years, with a road point streak of at least nine games.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl also had a nine-game road point streak last year, the longest since Peter Forsberg's nine-game streak in 1999.

Suzuki has two points, both assists, at home.

Juraj Slafkovsky has 10 points (five goals, five assists) on the road in the playoffs. He also has two points, a goal and an assist, at home.

"It's something usually as a coaching staff we've been talking about," Montreal assistant Stephane Robidas said of the road vs. home debate. "Maybe we keep it simple on the road. We're not forcing anything. Sometimes at home in front of our fans, we want to do a little too much."

That theory was brought up to Suzuki after Montreal's last home game, Game 6 against the Buffalo Sabres in the second round, an 8-3 loss at Bell Centre on May 16 that was easily their worst performance in the playoffs.

Suzuki buys it, though he's clearly not blaming the raucous home crowds in Montreal and the intense attention the Canadiens get from their fans as a reason for why they aren't as good there as they are everywhere else.

"I think guys maybe want to try to do too much here to impress the fans and give them back some love, but we can't just let that affect us mentally," Suzuki said. "We have got to keep things simple and keep doing what makes us successful regardless of where we're playing."

That's exactly what they do on the road. It's certainly what they did in Game 1.

Montreal's team identity is built on its ability to play with pace, possession and skill, with a dogged determination to win battles all over the ice.

When doing it right, the Canadiens play north, move the puck quickly, transition with speed through the neutral zone, and create in the offensive zone with skill and vision, not risk.

That style, coupled with Carolina's frayed defensive structure, led to the three breakaway goals in Game 1 and two more from the slot with space.

"We're well organized," forward Josh Anderson said. "I think we just play the right way, and I think we play to our identity."

It's a road identity; simple and direct backed by instinct. Everyone has bought in.

"That's the foundation of our team," defenseman Alexandre Carrier said. "We're a fast team. We've obviously got skilled guys that can make plays up the ice, but I think everybody competes and wants to win their 1-on-1 battles and wants to defend. Obviously as defensemen, that's part of our job, but I think about a guy like (Ivan) Demidov; obviously he's an elite talent in the league and skilled, but he also wants to defend and win his 1-on-1. I think that's our foundation and our identity. When you have guys like that doing that, then you have success."

With that success has come confidence and belief that they can play that way even if the matchups are not in their favor and the fans are against them.

"You've got to trust that the guys, like I always say, play the game that's in front of them, understanding who is on the other side, who is on the ice while that's happening," St. Louis said. "As much as players, young players, they love to have these offensive touches and I think sometimes it's just not what the game is giving you. You've got to defend. And I think our defensive game has evolved and improved over the last few years. That's allowing us to be a good road team."