The Montreal Canadiens’ attempt to move past their playoff history against Carolina fell flat in a 6-4 home-opening loss that highlighted a lack of urgency.
The Montreal Canadiens walked onto their home ice looking for a fresh start, a way to wash away the memory of a deflating postseason exit against the Carolina Hurricanes. Instead, they spent Tuesday night reliving it.
Carolina didn’t just walk into the home opener; they dominated the rhythm of the game. leaving Montreal to chase a shadow. While the 6-4 final score—capped by an empty-netter from Andrei Svechnikov with 1:15 remaining—suggested a competitive contest. the reality inside the rink was far less flattering. The Canadiens, now 1-1-1 on the young season, were simply outworked.
“Carolina will make you feel bad on the ice,” Phillip Danault said, echoing the frustration of a locker room that seemed to be playing in the same rhythm as their four-game playoff collapse last spring. “They’re just one step ahead, and their collective effort is so solid.”
The gap in intensity was stark. While Zachary Bolduc delivered two goals and Alex Texier helped anchor a line that actually showed up. the rest of the roster looked disjointed. Cole Caufield managed only a single shot. and the defensive performance was highlighted by an unsettling disparity between the play of Alex Carrier and Noah Dobson. Carrier played fearlessly. particularly impressive given he was knocked out of the previous game with a head and neck injury after slamming into the boards. In contrast. Dobson struggled through four giveaways. admitting afterward that there were plays in the second period he desperately wanted back.
Head coach Martin St. Louis didn’t lean on excuses. When asked about his blue line. he pointed to Carrier’s willingness to “own pucks” and “eat pucks” as the standard. noting that Carrier “won’t throw garbage to his teammates.” It was a sharp. implicit critique of a defensive unit that failed to protect the ice.
St. Louis observed a team that struggled to manage the puck against a Carolina side that effectively functions as a well-oiled machine. “You can’t get cute through the neutral zone with them,” the coach explained. “They reload fast. They stand. Too many turnovers for sure.”
It wasn’t just the skaters. Goaltender Jakub Dobes struggled to provide the stability the team needed, appearing just as fallible as the defensemen in front of him, even as Carolina’s Brandon Bussi proved generous enough to gift three goals during a chaotic first period.
Ultimately, the numbers—a 1-1-1 start with 81 games to play—don’t tell the real story of the night. The concern isn’t about the early-season schedule; it’s about the standard of compete. As St. Louis noted. Carolina demands a level of intensity that is currently the best in the league. and the Canadiens are still searching for that consistent gear.
“I feel like you can tell: Carolina’s compete level is probably the best in the league. and there’s still a gap there we’re trying to close. ” St. Louis said. “You have to have a high compete level. It’s not like we didn’t want to have that; it’s just I feel we have to keep elevating that and make it the norm.”.
Until that norm takes hold, any hope for catharsis against the Hurricanes will have to stay on hold.
Montreal Canadiens Carolina Hurricanes NHL Martin St. Louis Phillip Danault Noah Dobson hockey news NHL recap