We've entered the final days of the regular season. The Carolina Hurricanes began their final back-to-back of the season on Wednesday night against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canes dropped their final home game to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. For Montreal, this game meant everything, needing one point to clinch a playoff spot and lock the bracket.
With many starters resting on Wednesday, the Canes' 11/7 lineup featured two NHL debuts and a season debut. Skylar Brind'Amour and Domenick Fensore suited up for the first time at the NHL level, while top prospect, and AHL 30-goal scorer, Bradly Nadeau made his second appearance. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Shayne Gostisbehere returned from injury, and Pyotr Kochetkov started in the net.
The energy at Centre Bell was electric for the start of the game, and it only got louder when Montreal opened the scoring. Kaiden Guhle's shot from the right dot beat Kochetkov as the netminder was screened by a Hurricane and a Hab. He had no chance of stopping what he couldn't see. Less than four minutes into the contest, the Canadiens were off and running.
The Canes got back into it midway through the frame, thanks to their new-look top line. Hard work in front of the net by Andrei Svechnikov and along the boards by Sean Walker helped to create the tying goal. Taylor Hall scooped up a loose puck, spun, and fired it at the net to beat Samuel Montembeault. Along with a successful penalty kill for the Canes, the period ended in a deadlock.
The start of the second period was surprisingly strong for the Hurricanes. They were peppering shots on Montembeault in an attempt to put the fans on edge. Luckily, their goalie was seeing everything. A power play for the Canes didn't yield a goal, but Nadeau looked especially good on the second unit. He was throwing shots from every angle at the net to break the tie.
Slowly, the Canadiens regained control. Nick Suzuki was left alone in the far dot to beat Kochetkov under his blocker, sending the building into a frenzy as they took the lead again. Just over two minutes later, Guhle scored his second of the night, snapping another shot through traffic. With their four-minute push, the Canadiens put themselves 20 minutes away from the playoffs.
Even with a bizarre lineup, the Canes are never out of a game. Another early kill prevented Montreal from extending its lead, while Kochetkov made a massive breakaway stop on Josh Anderson shortly after. The building was silenced with just under six minutes left. Bradly Nadeau redirected Dmitry Orlov's shot before Tyson Jost hopped on the loose puck, cutting the deficit to one.
With Kochetkov on the bench, the Canadiens would seal the deal. Jake Evans scored from about 180 feet away into the dead-center of the net, restoring Montreal's two-goal advantage. The time ticked away as the fans erupted. When the final horn sounded, the Canadiens claimed the final spot in the playoffs, winning 4-2 to set the playoff bracket in stone.
The Hurricanes probably deserved better than what the scoreboard showed. They were the better team in the final two periods, but one bad stretch in the second put them in their place. With an amalgamated lineup, this was a much better game than I expected. It was never a matter of their heart. The concern was that Montreal would run them out of the building. Clearly, that didn't happen.
Overall, there weren't many players who played a bad game. In his NHL debut, Domenick Fensore was a standout. His slick skating was on full display, as was his willingness to jump into the play without looking undersized. Bradly Nadeau built a game in the third period, capped by recording his first NHL point with the primary assist on Tyson Jost's goal. He had a game-high six shots.
It was also a good night for some of the regulars. I liked the effort from the top line of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Andrei Svechnikov, and Taylor Hall. It was far from perfect, but they had some jump early. I also thought Pyotr Kochetkov had a fine night. His last few starts have been encouraging. While his starting on Wednesday might not mean anything, might it indicate he's the Game 1 starter?
Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes play Game #82 on Thursday night, visiting the Ottawa Senators to finish the regular season. Like Carolina, Ottawa is locked into place, set to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. I'd expect a lineup close to Wednesday's before the Canes return to Raleigh for Game 1 of the playoffs this weekend.