Leaky Canes fall 6-2 to Montreal in Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals

The Carolina Hurricanes lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals 6-2 to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, May 22, 2026, at Lenovo Center. Despite Seth Jarvis giving Carolina a lead just 33 seconds in, Montreal responded almost immediately and scored three more goals in an 11-minute first-period span to lead 4-1. Juraj Slafkovsky added a third-period goal to seal the result, with Montreal tacking on an empty-netter for the final 6-2 margin; Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday night.