Montréal Canadiens at Carolina Hurricanes
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan 02, 2026. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 7, Carolina Hurricanes 5.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 02, 2026 |
| Venue | Lenovo Center |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 7 |
| Carolina Hurricanes score | 5 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sebastian Aho | C | 2 | 3 | 3 | 16:50 | 0.33 | 4.18 |
| 2nd | Alexander Nikishin | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21:08 | 0.07 | 3.01 |
| 3rd | Andrei Svechnikov | R | 1 | 2 | 5 | 17:14 | 0.67 | 2.74 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–Carolina Hurricanes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 03:10 | MTL | Nick Suzuki | Alexandre Texier, Sammy Blais | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 04:06 | MTL | Oliver Kapanen | Ivan Demidov, Juraj Slafkovský | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 1st 10:47 | CAR | Nikolaj Ehlers | Alexander Nikishin, Sebastian Aho | 5v4 | 2–1 |
| 1st 12:19 | CAR | Sebastian Aho | Joel Nystrom, Andrei Svechnikov | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 1st 14:51 | CAR | Andrei Svechnikov | Sebastian Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 2nd 00:54 | CAR | Alexander Nikishin | Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov | 5v4 | 2–4 |
| 2nd 05:01 | MTL | Sammy Blais | Lane Hutson, Brendan Gallagher | 5v5 | 3–4 |
| 2nd 16:23 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Alexandre Texier | 5v5 | 4–4 |
| 2nd 16:46 | MTL | Josh Anderson | — | 5v5 | 5–4 |
| 3rd 11:20 | MTL | Juraj Slafkovský | Jayden Struble, Ivan Demidov | 5v5 | 6–4 |
| 3rd 16:58 | CAR | Sebastian Aho | Nikolaj Ehlers, K'Andre Miller | 6v5 | 6–5 |
| 3rd 18:00 | MTL | Lane Hutson | — | 6v5 | 7–5 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | Carolina Hurricanes | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 7 | 5 |
| Shots on goal | 23 | 25 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.72 | 3.05 |
| High-danger shots | 14 | 17 |
| Corsi % | 45.5% | 54.5% |
| Power play | 0/1 | 2/3 |
| Faceoff % | 44.4% | 55.6% |
| Hits | 26 | 18 |
| Blocks | 15 | 10 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 19 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 9 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sammy Blais | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10:05 | 0.24 | 1.95 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 19:06 | 0.13 | 1.90 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 24:33 | 0.20 | 1.60 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19:08 | 0.20 | 1.42 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15:08 | 0.13 | 1.33 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 14:25 | 0.40 | 1.02 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9:36 | 0.14 | 0.77 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15:57 | 0.60 | 0.57 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:45 | 0.01 | 0.48 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:54 | 0.00 | 0.47 |
| Adam Engstrom | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:04 | 0.00 | 0.35 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:21 | 0.10 | 0.31 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:28 | 0.07 | 0.21 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19:17 | 0.00 | 0.16 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:11 | 0.15 | -0.06 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:08 | 0.12 | -0.27 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18:07 | 0.22 | -0.31 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24:49 | 0.01 | -1.45 |
Carolina Hurricanes Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian Aho | C | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 16:50 | 0.33 | 4.18 |
| Alexander Nikishin | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 21:08 | 0.07 | 3.01 |
| Andrei Svechnikov | R | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 17:14 | 0.67 | 2.74 |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | L | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 16:54 | 0.41 | 2.58 |
| Sean Walker | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:34 | 0.00 | 1.49 |
| K'Andre Miller | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25:18 | 0.06 | 0.88 |
| Jalen Chatfield | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21:53 | 0.06 | 0.65 |
| William Carrier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:00 | 0.32 | 0.54 |
| Jackson Blake | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:36 | 0.00 | 0.31 |
| Jordan Staal | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:35 | 0.00 | 0.28 |
| Jordan Martinook | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:34 | 0.33 | 0.13 |
| Logan Stankoven | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:55 | 0.14 | -0.11 |
| Taylor Hall | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:19 | 0.13 | -0.11 |
| Joel Nystrom | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14:59 | 0.03 | -0.25 |
| Mark Jankowski | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:56 | 0.13 | -0.42 |
| Eric Robinson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:28 | 0.05 | -0.56 |
| Jesperi Kotkaniemi | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:23 | 0.16 | -0.69 |
| Mike Reilly | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:17 | 0.00 | -1.12 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 20 | 25 | 80.0% | 0.39 | W |
| Brandon Bussi | Carolina Hurricanes | 16 | 22 | 72.7% | -3.48 | L |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 7–5 on Jan 02, 2026.
Carolina Hurricanes generated 3.05 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 2.72 — Carolina Hurricanes owned the better of the chances but Montréal Canadiens took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Sebastian Aho led all skaters with a Game Score of 4.18 on 2 goals, 3 assists, 3 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs Carolina Hurricanes game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Carolina Hurricanes 7–5 on Jan 02, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 7, Carolina Hurricanes 5.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Sebastian Aho led all skaters at 4.18, on 2G, 3A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Carolina Hurricanes generated 3.05 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 2.72, so Carolina Hurricanes created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 23 shots on goal and Carolina Hurricanes put 25. High-danger chances went 14 to 17.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jakub Dobes stopped 20 of 25 (0.39 goals saved above expected); Brandon Bussi stopped 16 of 22 (-3.48 goals saved above expected).