Canadiens jump all over Hurricanes in first period :: WRAL.com

RALEIGH — Game 1 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference Final started with a flourish and, maybe, some rust from the Carolina Hurricanes, who’re taking part in for the first time in 12 days.

The Montreal Canadiens scored 4 targets in the first 11 minutes, 32 seconds of the first period Thursday evening at Lenovo Center in Raleigh to take a 4-1 lead over the Hurricanes.

Carolina acquired on the board first on a Seth Jarvis purpose simply 33 seconds into the sport, electrifying the group.

But Montreal did not wait lengthy to reply again, scoring 27 seconds in a while a Cole Caufield purpose from in entrance of the web off a terrific move from Juraj Slafkovsky.

The Canadiens made it 2-1 on a breakaway purpose by Phillip Danault, who beat Frederik Andersen with 15:56 remaining in the first period. Then Alexandre Texier added a 3rd purpose with 11:49 left in the period and Ivan Demidov tackled on one other when he took a move simply contained in the blue line and was one-on-one with Andersen.

Unlike in earlier sequence, the place Carolina’s protection suffocated opponents, the Canadiens discovered loads of open ice to skate in the first period.

Carolina is 8-0 in the playoffs, however the Eastern Conference Final has been an issue for the franchise. The Hurricanes are 1-16 in 4 ECF appearances since 2009. Carolina has misplaced all six Eastern Conference Final Game 1s in the franchise’s historical past, together with in 2002 and 2006 when it will definitely received the sequence and superior to the Stanley Cup Final.