hockeystats.io

Montréal CanadiensMTL 7–5 Final Carolina HurricanesCAR

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Final 1st2nd3rd T SOG
Montréal CanadiensMTL 232 7 23
Carolina HurricanesCAR 311 5 25

No impact calculated for this game. Impacts are calculated for games in the next 7 days.

Highlights

Scoring

1st Period
3:10 MTL Nick Suzuki (14) Alexandre Texier (5), Sammy Blais (4) · snap xG 0.08 1–0 ▶
4:06 MTL Oliver Kapanen (12) Ivan Demidov (24), Juraj Slafkovský (16) · snap xG 0.15 2–0 ▶
10:47 CAR Nikolaj Ehlers (9)PP Alexander Nikishin (11), Sebastian Aho (22) · snap xG 0.09 2–1 ▶
12:19 CAR Sebastian Aho (15) Joel Nystrom (8), Andrei Svechnikov (18) · tip-in xG 0.08 2–2 ▶
14:51 CAR Andrei Svechnikov (11) Sebastian Aho (23), Nikolaj Ehlers (19) · snap xG 0.19 2–3 ▶
2nd Period
0:54 CAR Alexander Nikishin (5)PP Sebastian Aho (24), Andrei Svechnikov (19) · slap xG 0.05 2–4 ▶
5:01 MTL Sammy Blais (3) Lane Hutson (34), Brendan Gallagher (11) · wrist xG 0.15 3–4 ▶
16:23 MTL Cole Caufield (20) Alexandre Texier (6) · snap xG 0.15 4–4 ▶
16:46 MTL Josh Anderson (9) Unassisted · wrist xG 0.18 5–4 ▶
3rd Period
11:20 MTL Juraj Slafkovský (14) Jayden Struble (6), Ivan Demidov (25) · snap xG 0.03 6–4 ▶
16:58 CAR Sebastian Aho (16) Nikolaj Ehlers (20), K'Andre Miller (13) · snap xG 0.28 6–5 ▶
18:00 MTL Lane Hutson (6)EN Unassisted · wrist xG 0.35 7–5 ▶

Score away–home after each goal; season totals in parentheses.

Shot quality

Expected goals (xG) rate every unblocked shot by how often shots like it go in, from where it was taken, the shot type, the strength and what happened just before it. How it works

MTL 42%Deserve to win58% CAR
MTLCAR
3.16Expected goals3.30
7Goals (no shootout)5
2.62Expected goals, 5 on 52.67
45Shot attempts54
35Unblocked attempts38
23Shots on goal25

Game notes

What stood out as the game went on, from the play-by-play and the shifts. Time on the bench is counted in 5-on-5 play outside the penalty box; the note says the player sat, not why. Goals saved are against the shots' expected goals (xG).

1st Period
14:51 CAR Deserve to win Deserve to win · CAR takes the lead, 61–39%
MTL had led since 4:06 of the 1st, by as much as 65%
14:51 MTL Goalie Goalie · Dobes −2.2 goals saved
3 goals on 0.76 xG, 9 shots on goal
2nd Period
16:23 CAR Goalie Goalie · Bussi −2.1 goals saved
4 goals on 1.91 xG, 13 shots on goal
3rd Period
10:00 MTL No shift No shift · Anderson, 18:20 on the bench
No shift after the end of the 2nd; 14 shifts (9:36) before that
16:04 CAR Pulled goalie Pulled goalie · Pulled Bussi, down 6–4
With 3:56 left; CAR scored at 16:58 of the 3rd (6–5)
17:33 CAR Pulled goalie Pulled goalie · Pulled Bussi, down 6–5
With 2:27 left; MTL scored at 18:00 of the 3rd (7–5)
19:06 CAR Pulled goalie Pulled goalie · Pulled Bussi, down 7–5
With 0:54 left

Shot map

MTL shoots ←Bigger circle: higher xG; filled: goal→ CAR shoots
K'Andre Miller: wrist, 64 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 0:15) Sebastian Aho: snap, 47 ft, xG 0.00 (P1 0:20) Noah Dobson: slap, 67 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 2:39) Nick Suzuki: wrist, 26 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 3:03) Juraj Slafkovský: tip-in, 17 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 4:24) Joel Nystrom: snap, 58 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 5:08) K'Andre Miller: snap, 46 ft, xG 0.00 (P1 5:45) Sammy Blais: tip-in, 12 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 6:37) Andrei Svechnikov: snap, 32 ft, xG 0.13 (P1 7:19) Jalen Chatfield: snap, 66 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 9:39) Noah Dobson: wrist, 173 ft, xG 0.00 (P1 10:20) Logan Stankoven: snap, 35 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 12:28) Cole Caufield: wrist, 24 ft, xG 0.07 (P1 13:13) K'Andre Miller: snap, 33 ft, xG 0.04 (P1 13:52) Andrei Svechnikov: snap, 11 ft, xG 0.17 (P1 14:44) Taylor Hall: snap, 26 ft, xG 0.14 (P1 15:33) Zachary Bolduc: tip-in, 15 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 15:55) Alexandre Texier: backhand, 18 ft, xG 0.10 (P2 0:10) William Carrier: wrist, 9 ft, xG 0.14 (P2 0:37) Oliver Kapanen: tip-in, 9 ft, xG 0.08 (P2 1:07) Ivan Demidov: snap, 7 ft, xG 0.41 (P2 1:10) Andrei Svechnikov: wrist, 15 ft, xG 0.15 (P2 1:45) Sebastian Aho: snap, 30 ft, xG 0.13 (P2 3:29) Alexander Nikishin: snap, 47 ft, xG 0.03 (P2 3:39) Cole Caufield: snap, 25 ft, xG 0.14 (P2 5:19) Logan Stankoven: snap, 28 ft, xG 0.16 (P2 6:27) Jesperi Kotkaniemi: backhand, 10 ft, xG 0.18 (P2 8:57) Jesperi Kotkaniemi: snap, 21 ft, xG 0.20 (P2 9:00) Alexandre Texier: snap, 41 ft, xG 0.05 (P2 9:31) William Carrier: backhand, 11 ft, xG 0.09 (P2 10:02) William Carrier: backhand, 9 ft, xG 0.03 (P2 10:03) Cole Caufield: snap, 33 ft, xG 0.05 (P2 10:15) Cole Caufield: snap, 20 ft, xG 0.13 (P2 11:02) Nikolaj Ehlers: slap, 39 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 13:35) Joel Nystrom: snap, 43 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 13:59) Joseph Veleno: wrist, 22 ft, xG 0.16 (P2 14:24) Adam Engstrom: wrist, 92 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 14:39) Alexandre Carrier: wrist, 183 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 16:29) Ivan Demidov: backhand, 16 ft, xG 0.11 (P2 17:28) Jalen Chatfield: snap, 26 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 17:53) Jalen Chatfield: slap, 53 ft, xG 0.00 (P3 1:11) Juraj Slafkovský: wrist, 23 ft, xG 0.11 (P3 1:47) Eric Robinson: snap, 19 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 2:47) Sean Walker: snap, 70 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 2:59) Cole Caufield: snap, 25 ft, xG 0.08 (P3 4:27) Jordan Martinook: snap, 6 ft, xG 0.28 (P3 7:54) Brendan Gallagher: wrist, 17 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 8:27) Nick Suzuki: tip-in, 9 ft, xG 0.10 (P3 9:55) K'Andre Miller: snap, 67 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 10:31) Nikolaj Ehlers: wrist, 15 ft, xG 0.20 (P3 10:34) Andrei Svechnikov: snap, 32 ft, xG 0.10 (P3 10:59) Nick Suzuki: wrist, 92 ft, xG 0.00 (P3 13:06) Mark Jankowski: wrist, 15 ft, xG 0.15 (P3 13:45) Jalen Chatfield: snap, 50 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 14:12) Brendan Gallagher: wrist, 29 ft, xG 0.10 (P3 14:23) Lane Hutson: wrist, 26 ft, xG 0.09 (P3 14:34) Taylor Hall: wrist, 49 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 16:02) Nikolaj Ehlers: slap, 32 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 16:08) Nick Suzuki: backhand, 87 ft, xG 0.00 (P3 18:03) Joseph Veleno: tip-in, 12 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 18:56) Phillip Danault: backhand, 22 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 19:49) Nick Suzuki: GOAL, snap, 33 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 3:10) Oliver Kapanen: GOAL, snap, 16 ft, xG 0.15 (P1 4:06) Nikolaj Ehlers: GOAL, snap, 35 ft, xG 0.09 (P1 10:47) Sebastian Aho: GOAL, tip-in, 14 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 12:19) Andrei Svechnikov: GOAL, snap, 13 ft, xG 0.19 (P1 14:51) Alexander Nikishin: GOAL, slap, 57 ft, xG 0.05 (P2 0:54) Sammy Blais: GOAL, wrist, 14 ft, xG 0.15 (P2 5:01) Cole Caufield: GOAL, snap, 17 ft, xG 0.15 (P2 16:23) Josh Anderson: GOAL, wrist, 27 ft, xG 0.18 (P2 16:46) Juraj Slafkovský: GOAL, snap, 24 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 11:20) Sebastian Aho: GOAL, snap, 5 ft, xG 0.28 (P3 16:58) Lane Hutson: GOAL, wrist, 181 ft, xG 0.35 (P3 18:00)
About these numbers

xG comes from hockeystats.io's own model, a gradient-boosted tree model trained on every unblocked shot from the 2021-22 to 2025-26 regular seasons using the NHL's public play-by-play. Each shot's value is the share of similar shots that became goals. A team's xG is the sum over its shots; "deserve to win" asks how often the team would outscore its opponent if every shot went in at exactly that rate. Blocked shots count as attempts but have no xG (the NHL records where they were blocked, not where they were taken), so the map leaves them out.

Box score

Montréal Canadiens

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
14 Nick Suzuki 101 +3 50.20 3019:08
20 Juraj Slafkovský 112 +1 50.16 3519:06
91 Oliver Kapanen 101 0 20.23 1318:07
13 Cole Caufield 101 +1 70.63 0015:57
24 Phillip Danault 000 0 10.02 0015:45
85 Alexandre Texier 022 +2 30.14 0015:08
93 Ivan Demidov 022 +2 20.52 0014:25
7 Brendan Gallagher 011 +1 30.14 2014:21
90 Joseph Veleno 000 +1 20.21 2014:11
76 Zachary Bolduc 000 0 20.06 1112:28
0 Sammy Blais 112 +1 20.23 7010:05
17 Josh Anderson 101 0 20.18 0009:36
Defense
53 Noah Dobson 000 0 20.02 0124:49
48 Lane Hutson 112 +3 40.44 0124:33
45 Alexandre Carrier 000 0 10.00 0123:08
3 Jayden Struble 011 +2 00.00 1019:17
72 Arber Xhekaj 000 +1 10.00 6113:54
42 Adam Engstrom 000 +2 10.00 0213:04
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Jakub Dobes 25520 .800 3.30 -1.70

Carolina Hurricanes

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
53 Jackson Blake 000 0 10.00 1118:36
11 Jordan Staal 000 -2 10.00 3017:35
37 Andrei Svechnikov 123 +1 50.75 1017:14
22 Logan Stankoven 000 -1 20.18 0016:55
27 Nikolaj Ehlers 123 0 50.37 0016:54
20 Sebastian Aho 235 +1 50.49 2116:50
71 Taylor Hall 000 -1 20.17 0116:19
48 Jordan Martinook 000 -2 10.28 0015:34
28 William Carrier 000 -2 50.26 5014:00
50 Eric Robinson 000 -2 10.04 1011:28
77 Mark Jankowski 000 -2 10.15 0210:56
82 Jesperi Kotkaniemi 000 -2 20.38 0010:23
Defense
19 K'Andre Miller 011 -1 70.06 1025:18
5 Jalen Chatfield 000 -2 50.05 0321:53
21 Alexander Nikishin 112 -1 40.08 0021:08
26 Sean Walker 000 0 30.01 2220:34
64 Joel Nystrom 011 -2 30.02 1014:59
6 Mike Reilly 000 -2 10.00 1013:17
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Brandon Bussi 22616 .727 2.81 -3.19

Skaters by time on ice. Goalie lines count shots with the goalie in net, from the NHL play-by-play.

Player ratings

What each player added to the result, in goals, from most to least. Hover a number for what it's made of.

Montréal Canadiens

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
85 Alexandre Texier L +1.99 +1.40 +0.09 +0.66 -0.15 0.00 -0.02 — 15:08
20 Juraj Slafkovský L +1.95 +1.30 +0.10 +0.27 0.00 0.00 +0.27 — 19:06
14 Nick Suzuki C +1.80 +0.75 +0.13 +1.00 0.00 -0.04 -0.04 — 19:08
47 Jayden Struble D +1.78 +0.70 0.00 +1.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 19:17
48 Lane Hutson D +1.63 +1.45 +0.29 +0.03 -0.15 0.00 +0.01 — 24:33
93 Ivan Demidov R +1.53 +1.25 +0.34 -0.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 14:25
27 Sammy Blais L +1.43 +1.30 +0.15 0.00 0.00 -0.02 0.00 — 10:05
13 Cole Caufield R +1.33 +0.75 +0.41 +0.18 0.00 -0.01 0.00 — 15:57
17 Josh Anderson R +0.94 +0.75 +0.11 +0.12 0.00 0.00 -0.04 — 9:36
11 Brendan Gallagher R +0.51 +0.55 +0.09 -0.14 0.00 0.00 +0.02 — 14:21
91 Oliver Kapanen C +0.50 +0.75 +0.15 -0.49 0.00 -0.05 +0.15 — 18:07
53 Noah Dobson D +0.36 0.00 +0.01 +0.38 0.00 0.00 -0.03 — 24:49
42 Adam Engstrom D +0.21 0.00 0.00 +0.11 0.00 0.00 +0.10 — 13:04
90 Joseph Veleno C +0.20 0.00 +0.13 +0.09 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 14:11
76 Zachary Bolduc R +0.17 0.00 +0.04 +0.07 0.00 +0.01 +0.05 — 12:28
24 Phillip Danault C +0.13 0.00 +0.01 -0.05 +0.15 +0.04 -0.02 — 15:45
72 Arber Xhekaj D 0.00 0.00 0.00 +0.12 -0.15 0.00 +0.03 — 13:54
45 Alexandre Carrier D -0.58 0.00 0.00 -0.63 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 23:08
75 Jakub Dobes G -1.70 0.00 — — 0.00 — — -1.70 60:00

Carolina Hurricanes

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
20 Sebastian Aho C +4.01 +3.45 +0.32 +0.38 -0.15 -0.04 +0.05 — 16:50
37 Andrei Svechnikov R +2.85 +1.85 +0.49 +0.38 +0.15 0.00 -0.02 — 17:14
27 Nikolaj Ehlers L +2.40 +2.00 +0.24 +0.05 +0.15 0.00 -0.04 — 16:54
21 Alexander Nikishin D +1.72 +1.45 +0.05 +0.18 0.00 0.00 +0.04 — 21:08
19 K'Andre Miller D +0.74 +0.55 +0.04 +0.17 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 25:18
5 Jalen Chatfield D +0.59 0.00 +0.03 +0.36 0.00 0.00 +0.19 — 21:53
26 Sean Walker D +0.17 0.00 0.00 +0.05 0.00 0.00 +0.12 — 20:34
28 William Carrier L +0.11 0.00 +0.17 -0.22 +0.15 0.00 0.00 — 14:00
53 Jackson Blake R +0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 18:36
48 Jordan Martinook L -0.06 0.00 +0.18 -0.25 0.00 +0.01 0.00 — 15:34
77 Mark Jankowski L -0.07 0.00 +0.09 -0.34 0.00 +0.08 +0.10 — 10:56
82 Jesperi Kotkaniemi C -0.14 0.00 +0.25 -0.34 0.00 0.00 -0.04 — 10:23
64 Joel Nystrom D -0.18 +0.70 +0.02 -0.87 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 14:59
11 Jordan Staal C -0.20 0.00 0.00 -0.22 0.00 +0.02 0.00 — 17:35
71 Taylor Hall L -0.27 0.00 +0.11 -0.37 0.00 0.00 -0.01 — 16:19
22 Logan Stankoven C -0.29 0.00 +0.12 -0.37 0.00 0.00 -0.04 — 16:55
50 Eric Robinson L -0.32 0.00 +0.02 -0.34 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 11:28
6 Mike Reilly D -1.02 0.00 0.00 -0.98 0.00 0.00 -0.04 — 13:17
32 Brandon Bussi G -3.19 0.00 — — 0.00 — — -3.19 58:20

An expected-goals take on Dom Luszczyszyn's Game Score: goals and assists, the quality of a player's own shots, shot quality for and against while they were on the ice at 5v5, penalties, faceoffs and puck plays, all in goals; goalies by goals saved above expected. From the NHL play-by-play and shift charts.