Canadiens outgunned 6–4 by Hurricanes despite Bolduc’s two-goal night

The Montreal Canadiens let a lead slip away on home ice, falling 6–4 to the Carolina Hurricanes in a game where the visitors controlled possession and piled up shots. Zachary Bolduc’s two goals and a late push featuring Juraj Slafkovský’s third‑period tally were not enough to overcome Carolina’s structure and pressure.

Bolduc strikes twice as Montreal’s power play delivers early

Carolina opened the scoring after a neutral‑zone turnover, with Taylor Hall finishing from the slot following a broken sequence in Montreal’s coverage. The Canadiens answered quickly when Brandon Bussi failed to corral a rebound through traffic and Bolduc jumped on the loose puck to notch his second of the season.

Montreal then grabbed its first lead on a well-executed five‑man rush. After a dump‑in and retrieval, Chris Kreider fed Nick Suzuki in the high slot, and Suzuki beat Bussi with a delayed shot to make it 2–1 on the Canadiens’ third attempt of the night. The Hurricanes replied when Jalen Chatfield’s point shot found its way in after Jake Evans made contact with Jakub Dobeš’s glove, evening the score.

The Canadiens’ power play restored the edge late in the first period. With Hall in the box for an infraction against Alexandre Carrier, Montreal’s top unit struggled to connect, but the second group converted. Left alone in the slot, Bolduc took a feed from Alex Newhook and picked his spot for his second goal of the frame, sending Montreal to the intermission up 3–2.

Missed 5‑on‑3 chance swings momentum toward Hurricanes

Montreal began the second period with 55 seconds of 5‑on‑3 time but never managed to get a dangerous shot through, squandering a chance to extend the lead. That missed opportunity loomed large when a misread on an offensive entry between Mike Matheson and Newhook led to a two‑on‑one. Sebastian Aho capitalized by slipping a quick shot through Dobeš’s pads to tie the game 3–3.

From there, Carolina dictated the pace. The Hurricanes repeatedly intercepted Montreal’s stretch passes, turning them into odd‑man rushes. A misplay from Noah Dobson in the corner ended with the puck sliding into the slot, where Mark Jankowski buried it to put Carolina ahead 4–3. Through two periods, the shot clock painted a stark picture, with the Hurricanes outshooting the Canadiens by roughly a three‑to‑one margin, including a 17–4 edge in the middle frame.

Discipline issues compounded Montreal’s problems. Arber Xhekaj took a penalty after being beaten along the boards by Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Matheson was whistled for roughing when he tried to move Aho away from the crease. At the same time, the Canadiens’ penalty kill looked tidier than their five‑on‑five play, limiting damage despite frequent trips to the box and drawing a second goalie‑interference call in three games when Jackson Blake clipped Dobeš in the head.

Slafkovský’s late goal not enough as Carolina closes it out

In the third period, Phillip Danault’s line remained Montreal’s most consistent trio, generating looks off quick cycling while Bolduc narrowly missed a hat trick. The coaching staff shuffled the top six, reuniting Slafkovský with Suzuki and Cole Caufield after a nervous start for the young forward, who had struggled with puck decisions earlier in the night.

Carolina extended its lead to 5–3 when a point shot was deflected in the slot, bouncing off Hall and Florian Xhekaj before landing in front of Hall, who finished on his backhand. With about three minutes left, Dobeš headed to the bench for an extra attacker. The gamble paid off briefly as Suzuki’s point shot rang off the crossbar and Slafkovský crashed the net to bury the rebound, pulling Montreal within one.

For the first time all night, the Canadiens began to consistently win puck battles and sustain pressure with the net empty. However, a final turnover at the offensive blue line ended their comeback bid. Slafkovský was stood up at the line, lost the puck, and the Hurricanes pushed the other way to seal a 6–4 victory. The result underlined how thoroughly Carolina disrupted Montreal’s breakouts and neutral‑zone play, echoing the same matchup problems that surfaced between the two clubs in last year’s playoffs.