Juraj Slafkovský scored as Montreal fell to Carolina Hurricanes 4-6

Juraj Slafkovský scored, narrowing Montreal’s deficit to 4-5 against the Carolina Hurricanes, Pravda reported. The late push ultimately fell short as Andrej Svechnikov sealed a 6-4 victory for Carolina with an empty-net goal in the final minutes.

Montreal Takes Early Lead over Carolina

The game’s scoring opened early when Taylor Hall struck for Carolina at 3 minutes, assisted by Blake, answered swiftly by Zachary Bolduc, assisted by Phillip Danault and Alexandre Texier, and Nick Suzuki for Montreal in the first period, with Suzuki’s goal assisted by Chris Kreider and Lane Hutson. Bolduc added his second goal of the night at the 13-minute mark, assisted by Alex Newhook and Alexandre Texier, to help build a 3-2 Montreal lead through twenty minutes, following an earlier goal by Carolina’s Jalen Chatfield, assisted by Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski, at 10 minutes. Penalties in the opening period included a double minor for roughness given to Montreal’s Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský alongside Carolina’s Sean Walker at 14 minutes and 50 seconds.

Carolina seized control in the middle frame. Sebastian Aho scored at 24 minutes, assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers and Shayne Gostisbehere, and Mark Jankowski added another at 34 minutes past goaltender Jakub Dobeš, with an assist from Eric Robinson, to shift the momentum. Noah Dobson received a 2-minute minor penalty for hooking and Taylor Hall received a 2-minute minor penalty for holding at 34 minutes and 59 seconds. The match officials for the contest were referees Eric Furlatt and Peter MacDougall alongside linesmen Caleb Apperson and Jeremy Faucher.

Juraj Slafkovský Goal and Late Rally

Despite the late surge, Montreal failed to find an equalizer. Carolina called a timeout at 57 minutes and 48 seconds.

Montreal Struggles with Inconsistent Form

The loss follows a turbulent start to the schedule for Montreal, who previously played a high-scoring contest against Pittsburgh where they recovered from a four-goal deficit in the second period before falling in overtime. During that earlier weekend fixture, forward Chris Kreider criticized his team’s performance, telling reporters that Montreal played a rybníkový hokej—or pond hockey—during a disastrous middle frame.

Slafkovský voiced frustration following that earlier match regarding Montreal’s slow starts, noting that the team possesses the offensive quality to dominate from the opening puck drop. Captain Nick Suzuki similarly pointed out that Montreal’s early success often leads to complacency once opponents respond with physical pressure.

Upcoming Schedule

Montreal’s early-season schedule continues to test the roster as the team looks to rebound from its recent defensive lapses and secure a more consistent start in upcoming fixtures.