The Carolina Hurricanes returned from their break on Saturday, and it was rough. After allowing four goals in the first period to the Maple Leafs, the Canes nearly clawed back into it by scoring three unanswered in the third period but, ultimately, fell short in a 6-3 defeat in Toronto. With Tuesday being a new day, the group hoped to get back on track in Montreal.
Frederik Andersen made his first start since before the break when he made 22 stops in the team's 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Rod Brind'Amour shook up the lines for the game, separating Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen. He also went 11/7, sitting Tyson Jost for Riley Stillman. Samuel Montembeault was in the net for the Canadiens, who were looking to move above .500.
For about six minutes, I really liked the Hurricanes' game. The first six minutes of the game were spent in front of Montembeault and, outside of their passes not connecting, things looked pretty good. Naturally, Montreal would score the first goal quickly after the first commercial break. Juraj Slafkovsky redirected Jayden Struble's shot to get Montreal on the board.
After another abysmal power play from the Hurricanes, the Canadiens added to their lead late in the frame. Alexandre Carrier's drive from the point was deflected by Patrik Laine before hitting Mikko Rantanen and bouncing over the line. It was a series of unfortunate events, giving Montreal a two-goal advantage after 20 minutes.
For a split second, it looked like the Canes' penalty kill might've given them some life. Shayne Gostisbehere and Brent Burns took penalties 44 seconds apart, giving Montreal an extended 5-on-3. The Canes dug in, getting some big defensive plays from Dmitry Orlov and Sean Walker to completely kill both penalties early in the second period.
Instead, an ill-advised cross-checking penalty in the offensive zone by Rantanen midway through the period gave Nick Suzuki the chance to strike on the power play for the Canadiens. Laine made an excellent pass from the corner to find Suzuki alone in the opposite dot as he snapped it over Andersen's glove to extend Montreal's lead to three, where it stood at the second intermission.
The Canes' power play showed signs of competency early in the third period. Sebastian Aho had two great chances, including a one-timer that rang the blocker-side post. Unfortunately, the bounces weren't going the Canes' way. Lane Hutson added a fourth goal for the Canadiens, their second on the power play with help from a good net front by Slafkovsky. Rantanen caught the post on a late Canes power play as they failed to solve Montembeault in a 4-0 loss.
Before I talk about the Canes' shortcomings, I have to give the Montreal Canadiens their props, even if it hurts me inside. They played one of the most incredibly frustrating defensive games I can recall against the Hurricanes. They did an excellent job keeping the puck along the boards and preventing the Canes from finding their game. When the puck was in a tough area, several Canadiens were swarming and trying to break it up.
The Hurricanes are broken, again. I'd hoped they might've gained something from their third period in Toronto. I was sadly mistaken. They'd actually brought their game from the first two periods to Montreal with them, except they decided to make that their identity for 60 minutes this time. They couldn't buy a goal with all of the cap space in the world on Tuesday night.
It's safe to say these line combinations shouldn't stick around for long. I liked the idea of keeping Aho and Rantanen separated, but the execution was pretty bad. I don't know what the answer is. The problem is I don't think the team knows what the answer is either. Nothing seems to working right now as the Canes drop their fifth game in the last six.
I'm hoping this is just a road thing because I'm not sure the fan base can handle this carrying over to the upcoming stretch of home games. If it does, there might be a mutiny amongst the Caniacs. Like always, I urge everyone to keep a level head. The Canes are in the middle of a rough patch, but good times are on the horizon. At least, they better be.
Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes will play their first home game in over two weeks on Thursday night, returning to Raleigh to host the Buffalo Sabres for Whalers Night. They'll conclude their three-game homestand with a back-to-back this weekend against the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames on Saturday and Sunday.