Here are my three takeaways from Montreal’s 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.
1- Hurricanes showed early it was rust, not rest
Like many expected, the opening period between Montreal and Carolina was complete chaos, especially for the Hurricanes.
With 11 days between games, there was a lot of discussion about whether the rest would benefit Carolina or if the long layoff would leave them rusty. It was definitely the latter. The Hurricanes played their worst period of the playoffs and spent most of the frame chasing Montreal around the ice.
The Canadiens were moving the puck through the slot with relative ease and generated two breakaway goals. Carolina looked completely out of sync defensively and Montreal made them pay.
Frederik Andersen had been lights out heading into the series and the Canadiens got to him early and often. It’s hard to pin the ugly first period entirely on him considering the quality of chances Carolina surrendered, but an extra timely save or two could have completely changed the momentum of the game.
Instead, you have to wonder if his confidence might now be shaken a little, especially considering his playoff track record. We saw something similar last year when Andersen looked unbeatable before struggling badly against Florida.
And now, even after dominating the first two rounds, Rod Brind’Amour may eventually have to at least consider another option in goal if things continue in this direction.
2- Overall, things couldn’t have gone much better for Montreal
Game 1 reinforced a lot of the concerns people had about Carolina while validating many of the strengths Montreal has shown throughout these playoffs.
The conversation heading into Game 2 will now shift toward Carolina’s struggles in conference finals, their history of poor Game 1 performances, the overreliance on their system and questions surrounding Andersen in big playoff moments.
Carolina will probably point to the long layoff and argue they improved after the opening period once they found their legs. Good luck selling that narrative because Game 1 was massively important for Montreal and only injected even more confidence into a team that already believed in itself.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens showed maturity. After the emotional high of winning Game 7 in overtime against Buffalo, they didn’t let it carry over into a flat start in the next series.
Montreal came out sharp, looked prepared for Carolina’s pressure and pace, credit to the coaching staff for that, and matched the urgency right away. They also scored all five goals at even strength, including goals from Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky, eliminating another talking point about their top players struggling offensively at 5-on-5.
One of the biggest keys in this series will continue to be Jakub Dobes. Carolina throws pucks from everywhere and volume shoots as much as any team in hockey, meaning one bad goal on a low-danger shot can completely swing momentum.
But Dobes actually seems to thrive when he’s busy. During the regular season, he was 7-0 in games where he faced 34 shots or more and one of his best performances came in March when he made 43 saves against these same Hurricanes.
But maybe the thing the coaching staff will be happiest with is the way Montreal was able to suppress Carolina’s shot total, keeping it under 30 and not overtaxing their goaltender in Game 1.
3- Ivan Demidov is feeling it
Yes, we know. It’s been repeated a million times that the Canadiens are the youngest team remaining in the playoffs and ahead of schedule.
But the experience they’re gaining in these moments is invaluable and Ivan Demidov is a perfect example of a young player learning on the fly.
A lot of these players are still basically kids, completely green and discovering what playoff hockey really demands. Think back to where Demidov’s game was in Round 1 and compare it to where it is now.
He steadily improved throughout the Buffalo series and now looks like he’s playing with a completely different level of confidence. It’s similar to Lane Hutson last postseason looking wide-eyed and overwhelmed at times before taking another step this year.
Demidov’s goal was absolutely nasty and it’s becoming a signature move. The quick forehand release while attacking with speed feels almost impossible for goalies to stop once he gets going downhill.
We’ve already seen him beat teams with it multiple times this season, including Boston and now Carolina.
Teams can scout it all they want. Knowing it’s coming and actually stopping it are two very different things.
Mitch Gallo is co-host of ‘Campbell vs. Gallo,’ as well as Canadiens pre- and post-game coverage on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. You can follow him on ‘X’ at @MitchyGallo.
