Canes Corner

For the second straight game, the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2, in overtime. It was the 5th overtime win of the playoffs for Carolina and all five have ended with the Hurricanes winning 3-2. The Canes stretch their playoff overtime winning streak to 7 in a row. For the 3rd straight game in this series Carolina scored the opening goal. Shayne Gostisbehere's 1st of the postseason opened the account with a rebound of a Mark Jankowski shot. Then, 54 seconds after Mike Matheson tied the game, Taylor Hall's 4th of the playoffs restored Carolina to the lead. Alas, as it was on Saturday in Raleigh, Carolina failed to skate that lead to the house and went to overtime. Andrei Svechnikov gets the game winning goal, just his second goal of the playoffs. The Hurricanes can stretch the lead to 3 games to 1 on Wednesday.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice, including the game-winner in overtime, as the Canes beat the Canadiens, 3-2. The Eastern Conference Finals are now even at 1-1 as the series heads to Montreal for Games 3 and 4, Monday and Wednesday. Eric Robinson scored early in the first period to give the Hurricanes the early lead for the second straight game. This time, however, Carolina wasn't a defensive mess, though a Taylor Hall turnover did lead to the tying goal -- the first of two by Josh Anderson. Speaking of Andersen, Freddie only had to make 10 saves, but he looked like the best version of himself in picking up his 9th win in 10 playoff starts. The 4th line with Mark Jankowski, William Carrier and Robinson were fantastic in the game and the Jordan Staal line held Montreal's best in check all night long. Joined by Spectrum News sports anchor Mike Solarte to discuss.

This is sponsored by the Aluminum Company of North Carolina. aluminumcompany.com

The Canes started fast -- a Seth Jarvis goal just 33 seconds into Game 1 -- but unraveled from there in a disastrous 1st period that saw the Canadiens score 4 times in route to a 6-2 win. Carolina has lost their first game of the postseason and have yielded more than 2 goals for the first time. After Jarvis put the Hurricanes in front. Cole Caufield scored 27 seconds later. He was followed by Phil Danault's breakaway goal, Alexandre Texier's one-timer from the slot and an Ivan Demidov breakaway goal all in an 11 minute span as the Canes turned a great start into a mountain of mistakes that all led to goals. Eric Robinson scored in the 2nd period to draw Carolina within 2, but that was it. Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice in the 3rd to provide the final margin. Game 2 is Saturday in Raleigh.

The Canes became the first modern NHL team to sweep each of their first two playoff series as Jackson Blake sent his team into the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season with a 3-2 win over the Flyers in overtime. Carolina trailed 1-0 entering the second period, but Blake's first of the night got them even. Logan Stankoven's 7th of the playoffs gave the Hurricanes the lead, but they would need overtime to seal the deal. At 5:31, Blake took a pass from Taylor Hall (3 assists) and his shot carried off of Dan Vladar's glove and into the bottom of the net for the win. It was the 6th time the Hurricanes have ended a series in overtime in Rod Brind'Amour's coaching career. They are 6-0 in overtime close out situations.

The Canes are one win away from the Eastern Conference finals after a 4-1 win over the Flyers in Philadelphia. Jordan Staal had a power play goal and set up Jalen Chatfield's 2nd period shorthanded marker as the Canes used their special teams prowess and rod the continued play of Frederik Andersen to a 3-0 series lead. Andersen's best work was done early as Philadelphia had chances to take the lead in the first 5 minutes. But, saves on Travis Konecny and Alex Bump plus some help from the post kept the game scoreless until late in the opening period when Staal shoveled in a rebound off the end boards on the power play. The Canes never trailed in the game -- the 6th time in 7 games that's happened -- and extended the lead in the 3rd period through Andrei Svechnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers. Andersen made 18 saves and is now 7-0 with a 1.02 GAA/.957 SV%

The Canes Corner Podcast is sponsored by the Aluminum Company of North Carolina. aluminumcompany.com