MONTREAL -- The Carolina Hurricanes dominated Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on Monday, but it still took a nail-biting 3-2 overtime win for the road team to top the Montreal Canadiens and take a 2-1 series lead.
The Hurricanes outshot Montreal 38-13, after holding the Canadiens to just 12 shots in their 3-2 overtime win on Saturday. Montreal registered just a single shot on net in the final 37:40 Monday -- which was belatedly credited to them in overtime -- yet Carolina was scratching and clawing all the way to another victory. Andrei Svechnikov ripped a shot, with teammate Sebastian Aho parked in front of the net, to finally beat Jakub Dobes with less than five minutes remaining in the first extra frame.
Carolina is now a perfect 5-0 in both overtime and on the road in the postseason. And it has handed Montreal consecutive losses for the first time in the postseason.
"I just really think it's our mentality of the team. We love tight games," Svechnikov said. "Overtime, we love that, and we love staying above them, and don't give them lots of chances, and I think that's why we won that in again in overtime."
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour could sense the calmness of his group on the bench when the game -- again -- went into extra time despite how it smothered Montreal all night. It's been a strength for Carolina all season to stay (mostly) poised under pressure. Monday was no exception.
"Obviously, we're really comfortable [in overtime]," Brind'Amour said. "I think we trust our game, and especially tonight, where it was, clearly we were going pretty well, so, we didn't really need to make too many adjustments or anything. So, just keep playing, and it doesn't always work out [in your favor], but tonight it did."
Aho originally appeared to have the game winner before his linemate, Svechnikov, was credited with the score instead. He wasn't stressing over the decision though -- what mattered most to Aho and Brind'Amour -- was where Carolina ended up in the win-loss column.
"I don't even care," Aho admitted, echoing his coach's assessment. "They have good technology. They'll figure it out. Honestly, we'll take the win and move forward."
The Hurricanes shouldn't have had to be pleased with just squeaking their way through, but that's ultimately how Game 3 played out. Carolina scored first -- for the third consecutive game -- when Shayne Gostisbehere buried a perfect past from Mark Jankowksi behind Dobes early in the first period.
It was Gostisbehere's first goal of the postseason (plus the latest in 16 playoff tilts dating back to May 23, 2025), and was the ninth time in this playoffs that the Hurricanes have been out front first. The only blemish on that 10-1 record is Game 1 of this series, when the Canadiens spotted themselves a 4-1 first-period lead and held on to win, 6-2.
Since then, Carolina has gotten the better of Montreal in most categories. But, even still, it takes a herculean effort every time. It's the been the Canadiens goaltending that's kept them holding on when the numbers suggest the Hurricanes could have run away. On Monday, for instance, Montreal received with 35 saves, good for a .921 save percentage, from Dobes, opposed by just 11 stops and an .846 percentage from Carolina's Frederik Andersen.
Carolina couldn't even escape the first period of Game 3 with an easy lead. Mike Matheson -- courtesy of an excellent pass from below the goal line by Ivan Deimodov -- drew the Canadiens even late in the opening frame. It marked the 11th straight game in which the Canadiens notched a first-period goal.
Carolina was determined to finish strong though, and Taylor Hall made it happen. Hall's line with Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake had been the Hurricnanes' best through the first two rounds -- collecting 14 goals and 31 points between them -- but their trio had zero points against Montreal headed into Monday.
That changed quickly when, after buzzing throughout the first period, Hall eventually bullied his way past Alexandre Carrier in front of Montreal's net and found mesh behind Dobes to give Carolina back a 2-1 lead.
At that point, the Canadiens were on pace for only 15 shots on goal through three periods. Montreal couldn't even hit that total despite having nearly an entire additional frame to work with by game's end.
Regardless, the Canadiens made the most of their chances -- however they came.
Montreal's break came when, early in the second period, Jordan Martinook was called for an offensive-zone slashing penalty on Lane Hutson. It was a light touch by Martinook on Hutson -- the kind that had Brind'Amour putting head to hands -- and Hutson took full advantage of his ensuing power-play opportunity. He and Cole Caufield executed a textbook zone entry and Caufield fed Hutson for a tying goal. Dobes also received an assist on the play, marking the rookie's first NHL point.
That was just the third man-advantage score Carolina has allowed this postseason. The last came in Game 2 of its second-round series against Philadelphia.
After 40 minutes of Game 3, Carolina led Montreal 25-11 in shots, 60-30 in shot attempts, but not where it counted most -- on the scoreboard. It was 2-2 entering the third period, and all the Hurricanes could do was, well, what they had already been trying to do -- break Dobes down just enough to earn another victory.
"I've been playing [here] for eight years in this system," Svechnikov said. "And that's what we do every day [is keep going]. And I got some experience to not get frustrated -- we all do -- and that's why Rod, in the intermissions, he says 'you have got to stick with our game.' And that's why we did."
It was Montreal that thought they had the game-winner down in regulation though when Caufield scored late in the third. But Carolina challenged successfully for offside, putting the Hurricanes into a fifth overtime of the postseason in only 11 games.
Brind'Amour didn't hesitate when it came to having the official take a second look at Caufield's score.
"It's a big of a tricky one," Brind'Amour said. "Because it's always tough when the guy is dragging [his skate]. But we went through it [when Jordan Staal was ruled offside on Mark Jankowski's potential overtime winner in Game 2] and that actually helped us to be confident [on this challenge] and it was a huge point in the game."
The Hurricanes may not have needed the extra time if their power play -- a woeful 0-for-3 -- was of any help. But their third period chance was the worst yet with only one shot on net.
Nick Suzuki might have ended things quickly in overtime if his breakaway chance hadn't sailed wide left of Andersen and off the post. Even still, despite the lack of work, Carolina's coach as impressed with his netminder.
"That is a tough game to play, believe it or not," Brind'Amour said. "When you're not getting a lot of action, and when you do, they were a Grade-A variety. But that's the right guy for us when in this situation, because he is just a calm, whether we're giving up 30 shots a night, or whatever it was tonight, he's going to be the same."
In the end, Carolina did enough to make Montreal uneasy as it looks ahead to Game 4 on Wednesday. There's work to be for the Hurricanes to be better at maximizing what they're doing well. But regardless of style points, Carolina is just pleased to be on the right side ... for now.
"I don't think you can really put it on one thing," Brind'Amour said. "I think we've got a good group, good players, and they play hard for each other, and I think that shows."