The Carolina Hurricanes had a chance on Wednesday to put the series in a vice grip. They emerged from Monday night's battle with their second straight overtime victory, winning 3-2 on Andrei Svechnikov's wrister late in the fourth period. Meanwhile, the Canadiens tried to draw even with the Canes, ensuring they'd have to come back to Montreal at least one more time this postseason.
Neither side strayed from their alignments from Game 3. The Canes and the Canadiens each deployed the same lineups for the fourth game, which comes as no surprise for either team. This meant the 12th straight start for Frederik Andersen, while Jakub Dobes took the net for the 18th time this postseason on his 25th birthday.
It appeared as if we were in for a penalty fest in the first. The Habs took a penalty before the Canes took the next two. When Montreal took another to end their power play, the visitors locked in. Sebastian Aho buried a one-timer on the power play. Jordan Staal added another in front of the net. Logan Stankoven made it three in less than three minutes. Just like that, it was 3-0 Carolina after 20.
The needle wasn't moved during the second period, but tensions seemed to heighten quite a bit between the two teams. The Canes kept their foot on the gas, but a chance at a 5-on-3 turned out to be a momentum killer for Carolina. They looked slow and lifeless for the duration, failing to generate anything. The lead remained 3-0 for the Canes after two periods.
The Canes might've been content to sit back and hold onto the lead. Instead, they continued to pressure the Canadiens. They didn't add another goal with Dobes in the net, but they kept Montreal without a shot for over 17 minutes. With Dobes on the bench, Andrei Svechnikov finished the job, putting it into the empty net for a 4-0 win, moving the Canes one win away from the fourth round.
From start to finish, the Hurricanes suffocated the Canadiens
If you're looking for a silver lining for the Canadiens, they had more shots tonight than they had in Games 2 and 3. They had 15 through two periods. However, even with a 3-0 lead, the Hurricanes outshot them 19-3 in the third period. This game rarely felt close because of the stranglehold the Canes' defense put on them all night long.
It made life for Frederik Andersen very easy on the way to an 18-save shutout. It's his third shutout this postseason and the fifth of his career with the Canes, both setting franchise records. This felt like a performance that should put some fans at ease after uglier statlines in the first three games. It's a testament to how well the group played in front of him tonight.
The flurry in the first period was sorely needed for the Canes' offense
Through the first 15 minutes, this game had taken on a different shape. The Canes controlled the play early before a pair of penalties threatened to change the game in Montreal's favor. The turning point might've been Samuel Bolduc's penalty to negate the final bit of Montreal's second power play. From there, the Canes' offense finally found its legs.
The power play was very bad tonight, but they got the first goal to get it rolling. Sebastian Aho left no doubt as to whose goal this was, clapping a one-timer. K'Andre Miller made the big play on the second goal, putting the puck through some legs to find Jordan Staal in front of the net. Then, Shayne Gostisbehere came up with a huge block, leading to a 2-on-1 for Logan Stankoven to finish.
Additional Thoughts
If I were Jakub Dobes, I would be throwing trash cans and screaming my head off in the locker room. He has been outstanding in all four games in the series. The problem is that the team in front of him has given him absolutely nothing to work with. Dobes finished the night with 39 stops. It's almost as many shots as his offense has generated in the last three games. And it was his birthday.
I touched on it briefly, but the defense got the job done on both ends of the ice. A defenseman recorded a point on all four goals, with Gostisbehere picking up two helpers, while Miller and Jalen Chatfield added the others. Nikolaj Ehlers joined Gostisbehere with a multi-point night, adding assists on the first two goals.
Up Next: The Canes and the Habs will head back to Raleigh for Game 5 on Friday night. With a win, the Canes will send Montreal home for the summer and play for the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. If Montreal keeps its season alive, Game 6 will be at Centre Bell on Sunday night. Should this series go the distance, the Canes will host Game 7 on Tuesday night.
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