Nikolaj Ehlers' overtime winner for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Montreal Canadiens was a special one for him as his father, former Danish national team player Heiz Ehlers, was among the audience. And former NHL star-turned analyst, Wayne Gretzky, detailed what the moment meant for the Hurricanes' no. 27.

During the broadcast, Gretzky talked about the pricelessness of the moment for Ehlers and explained why it can touch everyone. Gretzky also highlighted how moments like these become special because of the emotions attached to them and the people who are present to witness it.

“You want to see your mom and dad there,” Gretzky said. “It starts with the families who support their kids all the way through youth hockey. You dream about an opportunity like that. For him to get that goal today with his dad to be with him, that's pretty emotional.”

Ehlers’ overtime goal became even more meaningful because of the emotions attached to it. Watching their son deliver in one of the biggest moments of his career is something very few parents get to experience.

Gretzky summed up the moment in a way that perfectly described exactly why it connected with so many fans. He said, “That’s what the game is all about. That’s what life is all about.”

Ehlers also scored twice in the game and continued his strong playoff form as Carolina evened the series at 1-1.

A look into the Carolina Hurricanes' incredible win

Carolina took an early lead when Robinson deflected a shot from William Carrier less than three minutes into the game. 

Robinson scored, and Jalen Chatfield and Jankowski each had two assists for the Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen ended up making 10 saves. 

The Canadiens tied the game with Josh Anderson, just 8:49 remaining in the first period, but Nikolaj Ehlers continued his strong performance by putting Carolina back in the lead midway through the second period all alone. His energy and ability have once again proved important for the Hurricanes in such an intense game. 

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, while 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 to get past another intense match. Game 3 is set to be on Monday night.

Read more at NHL Fan Central

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Souvik Roy