Can Carolina Hurricanes' Special Teams Success Outshine Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre?
The Carolina Hurricanes, with a record of 4-1, faced off against the Montreal Canadiens, who stood at 2-3. The contest concluded with a score of 3-0 in favor of the visiting team.
The Hurricanes demonstrated a formidable performance on both ends of the ice at the Bell Centre. The team's goaltender was impenetrable, saving all 26 shots and securing a shutout victory. This defensive stronghold was complemented by an effective offensive display where the Hurricanes took 30 shots on goal, converting three into scores.
Special teams played a crucial role in this encounter. The powerplay unit for the Hurricanes capitalized on one of their two opportunities thanks to their flawless faceoff win percentage during powerplays. This success was mirrored by their penalty kill squad that not only thwarted all three powerplay chances for the Canadiens but also contributed to the scoreboard with a shorthanded goal.
At even strength, Carolina maintained control as well, registering one goal from their 25 shots while winning over half of their faceoffs in this situation. Their discipline was evident as they committed only three penalties throughout the game and spent just six minutes less than their opponents in penalty time.
The statistics reflect Carolina's dominance; they outperformed Montreal across various metrics including total points (8), assists (5), blocked attempts (23), and takeaways (9). Moreover, an empty net goal sealed their victory late in the third period.
As for Montreal Canadiens' efforts, despite taking fewer hits and giveaways than Carolina, they were unable to find the back of net from any of their 26 shots. Their powerplay units struggled against Hurricane's defense failing to score during any of their opportunities while also losing more faceoffs overall compared to wins.
Looking ahead after this commanding performance away from home soil at Bell Centre, fans can anticipate another exciting matchup as Boston Bruins visit PNC Arena to take on Carolina Hurricanes next week. Scheduled for April 4th at PNC Arena in Raleigh fans can catch live action via ESPN+, NESN or BSSO networks starting around 7:00 PM ET.