NHL: Andrei Svechnikov, Hurricanes grab edge over Habs with another OT win

The Carolina Hurricanes are beginning to sound repetitive.

The visiting Hurricanes won their second straight overtime game against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night, this time on a goal by Andrei Svechnikov at 14:06 to secure a 3-2 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Carolina now leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Wednesday in Montreal.

The Hurricanes also won 3-2 on Saturday on an overtime goal by Nikolaj Ehlers.

Svechnikov scored the game-winner with a wrist shot from above the right faceoff circle that deflected off goaltender Jakub Dobes and into the corner of the net. The goal was initially credited to Sebastian Aho on a deflection in front of the crease but was later awarded to Svechnikov.

“In the room, we don’t care who gets it done,” Aho said. “We just go in wave after wave.”

Shayne Gostisbehere and Taylor Hall also scored for Carolina, while Frederik Andersen made just 11 saves, one more than in the previous game. The Hurricanes, who lost 6-2 in Game 1 of the series, are now 10-1 in the postseason.

“There are two really good teams going at it right now,” Aho said. “We just stick with the process, play our game, and trust that it will give us the result we want at the end. That’s been the case the last two games, and we just keep going.”

Mike Matheson and Lane Hutson scored for Montreal, which has now lost two consecutive games for the first time in 17 games during the current postseason. Dobes made 35 saves and also recorded an assist.

“You need everything working against a team like that,” Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. “At this stage, you have to put it all together. Execution is part of it, intensity is part of it. It’s not just one thing—you have to put it all together, and I know we can.”

Carolina opened the scoring at 8:24 of the first period.

The puck came out of the corner in the Montreal zone to Hurricanes forward Mark Jankowski, who fired a shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle. The attempt deflected off the stick blade of Canadiens forward Kirby Dach and went to Gostisbehere, who finished with a one-timer from the left circle.

Montreal tied the game 1-1 at 15:28 of the opening period.

The Canadiens won a battle for the puck behind the Carolina net, and Ivan Demidov passed it to Matheson in front. Matheson beat Andersen with a wrist shot from above the right hash marks.

Carolina quickly regained the lead after Dobes made back-to-back close-range saves on Hall, but Hall converted on the third attempt to make it 2-1 at 16:22 of the first period.

Montreal tied the game again at 2-2 during a power play at 4:43 of the second period. Cole Caufield entered the zone, exchanged passes with Lane Hutson, and fed Hutson near the crease for a redirect into the net.

The Canadiens appeared to take the lead at 8:27 of the third period when Noah Dobson scored, but the goal was overturned after a successful Carolina challenge for offside on Caufield entering the zone 29 seconds earlier.

“I feel like at times we’re playing too slow, and sometimes we play at the right pace but don’t execute,” St. Louis said. “We didn’t expect this to be easy, and we’re okay with that.” -Field Level Media/Reuters