Canadiens fall 3-2 in OT to Hurricanes at Bell Centre, trail series 2-1
Posted May 25, 2026 07:30:00 PM.
Last Updated May 26, 2026 11:38:46 AM.
Sebastian Aho would end up being the Game 3 hero for the Carolina Hurricanes, as the Canadiens’ comeback attempt fell short in a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss Monday night at the Bell Centre.
The game marked back-to-back 3-2 overtime wins for Carolina, as the Hurricanes have now stolen home-ice advantage from Montreal and taken a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Final.
The Canadiens also surrendered the opening goal for the third straight game in the series.
Hurricanes strike first as Canadiens answer back
Shayne Gostisbehere opened the scoring for the Hurricanes 8:24 into the first period after Mark Jankowski’s shot toward the net deflected off Kirby Dach’s stick and landed perfectly for Gostisbehere, who blasted the puck past a sprawled Jakub Dobeš.
The Montreal Victoire were honoured during the game for capturing the PWHL Walter Cup championship, drawing a loud ovation from the Bell Centre crowd.
Mike Matheson briefly tied the game at 15:28 of the opening frame when he wired a laser past Frederik Andersen after taking a slick feed from Ivan Demidov below the goal line.
MIKE MATHESON TIES IT UP FOR THE CANADIENS ???? pic.twitter.com/IPp2DLgG0J
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 26, 2026
However, Carolina responded less than a minute later.
Taylor Hall regained the lead for the Hurricanes after winning a battle in front of the crease and jamming the puck into the net while falling to the ice, giving Carolina a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission.
Hutson shines again as Canadiens claw back
The Canadiens pulled even once again in the second period thanks to rookie defenseman Lane Hutson.
Cole Caufield entered the zone before exchanging passes with Hutson on the power play, eventually setting up the young blueliner for a shot that beat Andersen to make it 2-2. The goal marked Hutson’s third of the postseason.
LANE HUTSON CAPS OFF A BEAUTIFUL SEQUENCE BY THE CANADIENS ????
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 26, 2026
TIE GAME IN MONTREAL! pic.twitter.com/cmolzzmGTe
Montreal nearly grabbed its first lead of the night later in the period.
Noah Dobson appeared to score his first career playoff goal after a give-and-go play with Caufield led to a perfect pass for Juraj Slafkovský at the front of the net. But Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour immediately challenged the play for offside.
Video review confirmed Caufield had entered the zone a step early, wiping the goal off the board and keeping the game tied.
Dobeš survives scary collision in tense second period
Canadiens fans were briefly reminded of Carey Price’s infamous 2014 playoff injury against the Rangers when Sean Walker crashed hard into Dobeš late in the second period.
The Montreal netminder stayed down momentarily before getting back to his feet and remaining in the game, much to the relief of the Bell Centre crowd.
Walker received a goaltender interference penalty on the play, though fans voiced their frustration after Jake Evans was also penalized for immediately jumping in to defend his goaltender.
Dobeš was outstanding despite the loss, stopping 35 of 38 shots.
Canadiens run out of chances in overtime
After 60 minutes solved nothing, the Canadiens and Hurricanes headed to overtime tied 2-2 for the second straight game.
Montreal entered the extra frame with just 12 shots on goal, one game after tying an NHL playoff record for the fewest shots in an overtime game.
The Hurricanes eventually capitalized after the Canadiens failed to clear their zone. Andrei Svechnikov fired a shot toward the net that deflected off Aho and past Dobeš at the 14:06 mark of overtime to silence the Bell Centre crowd.
Andersen finished with 10 saves on 12 shots for Carolina.
The loss marked the first time these playoffs that Montreal has dropped back-to-back games.
Bell Centre crowd left frustrated after missed opportunity
Inside the Bell Centre, emotions ranged from frustration to cautious optimism after the Canadiens’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3, with many fans reacting to missed chances, low shot totals, and overall execution.
“It’s a tough loss, honestly, especially going into Game 4. It’s very discouraging,” one fan said, before adding, “But hopefully our boys have it and can bring it home for Game 4.”
The same fan felt there was still some improvement despite the result, saying, “I think we could have played better. But in comparison to last game, definitely an improvement.”
Others remained hopeful about the series despite the setback. “We were not out played. We still have a lot of chance to win the series,” one fan said.
Frustration quickly turned toward Montreal’s offensive output, with one supporter calling the loss “heartbreaking.” “We can’t have so many opportunities missed. Twelve shots, I think. We can’t win with under 15 shots. Like, it doesn’t work,” the fan said. They also credited Carolina’s pressure, adding, “They’ve been pressing us all night long. They’re close to 40 shots. They’ve been on our back all night.”
That same fan pointed to repeated issues in the defensive zone, saying, “They’ve been dumping the puck all night. That ended up hurting us. We constantly lost the puck.” Despite the frustration, they still held out hope, adding, “It’s never over. We’re going to have to find some solutions to shoot more. Otherwise it’s going to be very hard to win the series.”
Another fan took a more measured approach, saying, “They played OK, I guess. They could have played a bit better,” while still hoping for a response in Game 4: “Hopefully they win the next one, right? To tie it up. So we’ll see.”
Officiating also became part of the postgame conversation for some fans. “I don’t have words. Just very questionable officiating. I’m in shock. The league has to do something,” one fan said.
Shot volume remained a repeated concern across the crowd. “I feel like they needed more shots. A little bit of heartbreak, but more shots. You’re not going to win a game with 10, 12 shots on net. You’re not going to win it,” one fan said, while another simply added, “More shots and different refs.”
One more fan pointed directly to the shot disparity, saying, “12 shots versus 36 they had. You can’t win a game like that.” Still, they remained confident in the team’s ability to respond, adding, “Habs in six.”
Not every reaction was critical. One visiting fan attending their first NHL game described the experience as unforgettable despite the loss: “This is actually my first hockey game ever, and my first time in Montreal. It was very exciting. I like the crowd, I like the energy. I wish they won, because I even got my first jersey. I’ll definitely be back for the next game on Wednesday. Hopefully they win then.”
Another fan summed up the emotional tone of the night simply, saying, “Terrible. I was so sad. So sad.”
“We need more shots, though. We need more shots. Dobeš can only do so much,” he added.
Fans carry U.S. anthem after microphone failure
Prior to puck drop, Canadiens fans briefly carried “The Star-Spangled Banner” after a microphone malfunction cut out during the anthem.
Quebec singer Éléonore Lagacé and three backup vocalists began performing the American national anthem before the sound suddenly disappeared from the speakers.
Fans inside the Bell Centre quickly picked up the lyrics for several seconds until the microphones returned.
Lagacé then delivered a stirring rendition of “O Canada,” pausing beforehand to shout “êtes-vous prêts, Montreal!” — “are you ready, Montreal?” — before finishing to thunderous applause.
The moment contrasted sharply with last year’s Bell Centre reaction to the American anthem during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, when fans loudly booed amid political tensions surrounding Canada-U.S. relations.
Montreal will now look to bounce back and even the series in Game 4, scheduled for Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre.
-With files from the Canadien Press
