South Raleigh News

The Carolina Hurricanes secured a 4-1 victory against the Montreal Canadiens at Lenovo Center, propelled by standout performances from Jackson Blake and Taylor Hall. Blake achieved his first career three-point game, while Hall extended his goal-scoring streak to three games, marking his third consecutive contest with a power-play goal.

The game began with a rapid exchange of goals, as Montreal's Josh Anderson scored 23 seconds in, only for Blake to retaliate 18 seconds later. The pace slowed until late in the second period, when Hall and Sebastian Aho scored two goals within 2:26 to put the Hurricanes ahead. Hall's game-winning goal came midway through Carolina's third power play, while Aho capitalized on a 2-on-1 opportunity with Seth Jarvis.

Carolina's defense, led by goaltender Frederik Andersen with 14 saves, held off a Montreal comeback attempt before Andrei Svechnikov secured the win with an empty-netter. The victory marked Andersen's sixth consecutive win.

The quick exchange of goals in the game's opening 41 seconds tied the record for the 10th-fastest two goals to start an NHL game. Blake's performance makes him the first Canes rookie to achieve a three-point game since March 2020, ending a 22-game scoreless streak.

Sebastian Aho's goal tied him for the team's lead in goals this season, while Seth Jarvis contributed two assists, marking his 10th multi-point game of the season. Taylor Hall, celebrating his 900th career game, noted the teamwork and fluidity in the Hurricanes' power play, which he attributes to their recent success.

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour reflected on the team's performance, "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."

Taylor Hall, reflecting on the milestone, said, "It's special to do that with these guys, and I'm having a blast, as you can probably tell." Jackson Blake expressed relief about ending his scoring drought, "That one felt really good... It feels good to get rewarded a little bit there."

The Hurricanes are set to practice on Saturday before facing the New York Islanders on Sunday.