RALEIGH — Nick Suzuki trudged off the ice hoping it wasn't his team's closing act at the Bell Centre.
The Canadiens were embarrassed 8-3 by the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series on May 16. The home fans making up an electric crowd barely had a chance to take their seats when the visitors grabbed a 1-0 lead on the first shift.
Montreal pushed back to grab a 3-1 advantage and looked well on its way to clinching a spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference final in a hockey-mad city waiting to explode when Buffalo roared back with seven straight goals to force a winner-take-all finale.
The Canadiens eventually did it the hard way by securing a second consecutive Game 7 road triumph — this one in overtime — to keep their Stanley Cup dream alive.
Now after splitting the first two contests against the Carolina Hurricanes, Suzuki and his teammates will get a chance to make amends on home ice.
"It was a tough one last time we played there," Montreal's captain said after the Hurricanes picked up a 3-2 OT decision Saturday at Lenovo Center to even the best-of-seven East final. "Can't wait to get back in front of our fans. I know they're definitely amped up to see us."
The Canadiens, however, haven't given those rabid supporters inside their rink much to cheer about this spring heading into Game 3 on Monday.
Montreal has gone 7-3 on the road this post-season, but owns a 2-4 mark through six Bell Centre dates thanks to some sloppy starts and mid-performance lulls.
"No doubt in our mind that we gotta play a little bit better at home," said winger Josh Anderson, who had both of his team's goals in Saturday's loss to Carolina. "We owe it to our fans and to ourselves to have better starts there, and play a full hockey game."
Canadiens defenceman Mike Matheson said the city is primed for the team's return.
"Montreal is really excited," he said. "We'll look to take care of that momentum."
"Still really confident in what we can do and excited to get back home," Suzuki added. "We're in a good spot."
The Canadiens are the league's youngest team — with an average age of 25.8 years — to be among the last four standing since their 1993 title.
"Hard to describe," goaltender Jakub Dobes said of what it's like to play in one of the sport's most intense markets. "It doesn't feel real, but it's great. Every time we step on the ice, it's a privilege. We need to be better at home … we'll try our best."
Montreal owns a 4-1 combined record against Carolina in 2025-26 after going 3-0 in the regular season, and will have the opportunity for more favourable matchups, should head coach Martin St. Louis choose, when events shift north.
"We're in a battle going back home," said the Hall of Fame winger. "Our fans have watched us play three games in a row on the road.
"I'm sure they'll be ready for us."
MUTUAL RESPECT
St. Louis and Hurricanes counterpart Rod Brind'Amour both had long NHL careers that overlapped more than a decade.
"Hard-nosed," St. Louis said of his opposite's playing days. "You knew you were gonna have a hard game playing against him, but he also had some offence … he was a complete player.
"I feel like Carolina is kind of playing that style. They play offence, they play defence, they compete. It's a lot (of) what Rod was. "
Brind'Amour also sees similarities in how St. Louis went about his business and Montreal's current approach.
"Guys who have played that are coaching, they bring their personality to their team," he said. "He played a certain way and his team plays the same way. He was a talented, skilled player. They've got a lot of talented, skilled guys, but he did it right."
FAMILY AFFAIR
Justin Robidas, the son of Canadiens assistant coach Stéphane Robidas, has played four games for Carolina over the last two seasons, and is currently in the American Hockey League playoffs with its top affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
The elder Robidas, a former defenceman, said Brind'Amour has been a strong influence on the 23-year-old centre.
"He's been amazing for my son," said the veteran of 937 regular-season NHL games. "He's got nothing but good things to say about (Brind'Amour). He's a competitor. I feel like he's a players' coach. If you look at the way his teams are playing for him, I think it shows they respect him a lot. Who knows what's going to happen with my son?
"But he's in the right place in a good organization."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2026.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
