Thanks to four fast starts in as many games, the Carolina Hurricanes have pushed the Montreal Canadiens to the brink of elimination in the Eastern Conference finals.
Should the Hurricanes bolt out of the blocks yet again in Game 5 on Friday in Raleigh, N.C., they likely will be in good position to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in franchise history.
The visiting Hurricanes scored three times in less than three minutes in the first period and Frederik Andersen made 18 saves, lifting Carolina to a 4-0 victory over Montreal in Game 4 on Wednesday.
Although the Hurricanes hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, Andersen said his team can’t let up.
“We want to put our minds right to get that job done,” Andersen told TNT. “We know that it doesn’t take any less because we’re up 3-1. We want to continue coming with this attitude and really take it to them. That’s what we’ve been successful with.”
Sebastian Aho scored a power-play goal and captain Jordan Staal and Logan Stankoven also converted in a 2:47 stretch late in the first period. Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net tally late in the third period.
“We wanted to have a good start, and we got it,” Aho told Sportsnet. “… Couple big goals in the first. Jordan and Stank’s goal, so we extended the lead. I thought it was a solid game for us.”
Andersen turned aside three shots in the third period to preserve his eighth career postseason shutout and fifth with the Hurricanes, surpassing Cam Ward for the most in franchise history. Andersen has three shutouts this postseason, one in each round.
Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere each notched two assists for the Hurricanes, who became the seventh team in NHL history to win each of its first six road games of a postseason.
Jakub Dobes made 39 saves on his 25th birthday for the Canadiens, who have lost four in a row at home and six of eight overall in Montreal during the playoffs.
“It obviously (stinks) to come in here and lose (Games 3 and 4) at home,” Montreal captain Nick Suzuki said. “We gotta focus on Game 5, we can go in there and win and give ourselves a chance to come back in the series.”
Carolina opened the scoring for the fourth time in as many games after Aho’s one-timer from the right circle beat Dobes inside the near post with 5:01 remaining in the first period.
Aho logged his 11th career power-play goal in the playoffs, eclipsing former captain Eric Staal for the most in franchise history.
The Hurricanes doubled the advantage 68 seconds later after defenseman K’Andre Miller skated below the goal line and backhanded a centering feed that caromed off the stick of Jordan Staal and into the goal. Montreal’s Josh Anderson was attempting to fend off Jordan Staal in front of the net.
Gostisbehere blocked a shot by Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, setting up a 2-on-1 rush that saw Jackson Blake feed Stankoven for his team-leading eighth goal of the playoffs 1:39 later.
“It was my time to lay my body on the line. I’m just happy it went the other way and we got rewarded,” Gostisbehere told Sportsnet.
Dobes extended his left pad to deny Blake on a breakaway to keep the game scoreless just over two minutes into the game.
“It seemed like the only guy who showed up was (Dobes),” Hutson said. “We were just not good enough, didn’t answer the bell. The good news is we get another chance to answer the bell.”
–Field Level Media
