May 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Mark Jankowski (77) against the Philadelphia Flyers in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
May 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Mark Jankowski (77) against the Philadelphia Flyers in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The Carolina Hurricanes avoided a 2-0 series hole thanks to a Nikolaj Ehlers overtime winner. Center Mark Jankowski notched two assists in the victory. Now, the team prepares for the thunderous atmosphere of Montreal’s Bell Centre for Game 3.
The best-of-7 series now stands at 1-1, and Game 3 is scheduled at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Monday. After the game, Mark Jankowski, who made 2 assists in Game 2, spoke about playing in Montreal.
"It's obviously a special building," Jankowski told the media. "These are probably the two best buildings in the playoffs. You can just feel it as soon as you step into the rink. It's gonna be a great atmosphere," he added.
Montreal's Bell Centre is an intimidating venue because of its history and loyal home crowd. Players around the league have spoken about it for years.
Apr 9, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Mark Jankowski (77) hugs goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) after the game against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Apr 9, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Mark Jankowski (77) hugs goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) after the game against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Last October, Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf spoke about it. "Everyone knows everything about hockey there. They care so much about hockey and know so much about the game," he said.
For a Carolina team that had been on an 11-day layoff before this series and is still struggling to find its momentum, the mental preparation is crucial.
The Hurricanes had gone into this series with eight straight playoff wins behind them, but the run was disrupted by the Canadiens in Game 1.
Hurricanes Even Eastern Conference Final
Eric Robinson scored, and Jalen Chatfield and Jankowski each had two assists for the Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen ended up making 10 crucial saves.
Carolina took an early lead when Robinson deflected a shot from William Carrier less than three minutes into the game.
The Canadiens bought the game into a tie through Josh Anderson with 8:49 remaining in the first period. Ehlers then put Carolina back in the lead with a huge amount of effort midway through the second.
Anderson scored for the second time at 12:51 in the third period to tie the game at 2-2, forcing overtime. That's when Chatfield, Jankowski, and Ehlers made a winning sequence.
Dobes made 23 saves for Montreal. Phillip Danault made two assists for the Canadiens.
Defensively, Carolina took out an entirely different play starting from Game 1. The Hurricanes are now at 4-0 in overtime. They'll need the same resilience in Montreal, where the atmosphere that Jankowski described will be at its loudest and most intimidating. Game 3 is set to be on Monday night.
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Written by
Aadhya Nalla
Edited by
Sagnik Bagchi