The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final in overtime. They went to lead the series 2-1.

Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov scored the overtime winner at 14:06, while Shayne Gostisbehere and Taylor Hall also found the net. Frederik Andersen recorded 11 saves, and Jakub Dobes made 35 stops for Montreal.

This result turned into one of the most unusual events in NHL playoff history in recent years. It marked Carolina's fifth win in overtime this postseason. Interestingly, all those wins came by a 3-2 score, and with that, it became the first team in NHL playoff history to win five consecutive OT games in a single postseason with the same score.

The Hurricanes outscored their opponents 24–10 across the postseason, and they became only the fourth expansion-era NHL team to allow 10 goals or fewer in their first eight games.

Montreal had been one of the more resilient teams in this postseason, winning in Game 7 in each of the first two rounds.

Coming into the Bell Centre, the Canadiens’ momentum didn't hold up on their home ice. Gostisbehere opened the score in the first period before the game got more intense, and Montreal's Mike Matheson and Lane Hutson matched up with the Canadiens before Svechnikov pushed the win in overtime.

Road to the Stanley Cup Final

Carolina is now in the Eastern Conference Final, 2-1 in the lead. Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

The Hurricanes are just two wins away from reaching the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2006, while Montreal needs a strong comeback. The atmosphere at the Bell Centre is expected to be electric as we move forward.

In Stanley Cup playoff history, when a series is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has ended up winning the series about 66 percent of the time, and Carolina now has that kind of an advantage.

In the Western Conference Final, the Vegas Golden Knights are leading 3-0 in the series over the Colorado Avalanche. the playoffs as a strong Stanley Cup contender, carrying momentum from their second-round win over the Anaheim Ducks and working on the same energy against Colorado.

The Avalanche, even as they entered as the top favorite, struggled to find a consistent pace against Vegas's play. Game 4 of that series is scheduled for Wednesday.

The Stanley Cup Final is expected to begin in early June, with the NHL finalizing the schedule once both the conference tournaments end and the champions are decided.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Ankita Yadav