Hurricanes edge Montreal 3-2 in OT to grab 2-1 series lead
MONTREAL (WTVD) -- The Carolina Hurricanes ended a long-scoring drought with a winner in overtime to beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Monday night and take a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Final.
Carolina couldn't hold a 2-1 first-period lead as the Canadiens made it 2-2 after two periods. Neither team found the net in the third period, and for the second consecutive game, the teams went to overtime.
Again, the Hurricanes prevailed
It ended on what appeared to be a goal by Andrei Svechnikov, but was credited to Sebastian Aho on a tip-in. Later, the league credited Svechnikov with the goal at 14:06 of OT and Seth Jarvis with the assist.
Either way, it was a huge moment that shifted the momentum in the series back to the Hurricanes.
Shayne Gostisbehere and Taylor Hall scored in regulation for Carolina. Frederik Andersen made 11 saves.
Mike Matheson and Lane Hutson scored for Montreal, which got 35 stops from Jakub Dobes.
Svechnikov fired a shot through a crowd after a back-and-forth with Jarivs for the winning tally.
After picking up a 3-2 extra-time victory at home Saturday that looked a lot more like their relentless style following a discombobulated 6-2 loss in Thursday's opener, the Hurricanes came out flying and took the lead at 8:24 of the first period when the puck popped into the slot for Gostisbehere to fire in off the left post past a diving Dobes.
The Canadiens, who topped the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres in a pair of seven-game matchups to make the conference final despite a combined 2-4 record at home, tied it at 15:28.
Carolina, the East's top seed coming off sweeps of the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, pushed back less than a minute later when Hall shoveled home his own rebound from in tight past Dobes as the winger was falling to the ice at 16:22.
Montreal, which registered just 12 shots in Game 2, evened things up on a power play at 4:43 of the second period.
Game 4 is on Wednesday in Montreal. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m.
- The Associated Press contributed.
