The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday, led by winger Juraj Slafkovsky.
The 22-year-old forward extended Montreal's lead by weaving through traffic and jamming the puck past goaltender Frederik Andersen after a precise pass from Cole Caufield.
Slafkovsky continued his strong postseason, following a historic second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres where he recorded three assists in one game on May 14.
According to league data, that performance made him the first Montreal player in 16 years to have multiple three-point games in a single Stanley Cup playoff campaign.
Montreal's offensive surge halted Carolina's undefeated postseason run. The Hurricanes had early goals from Seth Jarvis and Eric Robinson.
The Canadiens responded efficiently, with Caufield firing a quick wrist shot to equalize. Teammates Phillip Danault, Alexandre Texier, and Ivan Demidov also scored.
Slafkovsky's goal capped a dominant performance as Montreal secured the victory in Game 1.
