Here are 3 things to watch in Game 1:<\/p>\n
1. Preparing the defenses<\/p>\n
The Canadiens know what they\u2019re going to get with the Hurricanes, especially with their quick and aggressive forecheck.<\/p>\n
Montreal possesses a very mobile defense, though, and that agility should help them against Carolina.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely important,” Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson<\/a>\u00a0said. “I think their forecheck is a huge part of their game. We\u2019re going to need to be good on breakouts, support each other, use our legs to be able to make plays and try to break their pressure.\u00a0<\/p>\n “If we do that, we\u2019ll be playing with the puck more and playing in the O-zone, but it\u2019s definitely an important part of the series.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Aho A-OK<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to remind Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho<\/a>\u00a0that offense has been hard to come by for him and his fellow linemates Andrei Svechnikov<\/a> and Seth Jarvis<\/a>, who make up Carolina’s top unit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Aho has four points (three goals, one assists) in eight games this postseason but has not scored since Game 4 of the first round, when he had two goals against the Ottawa Senators. Svechnikov has three points (one goal, two assists) in eight games and Jarvis has four points (one goal, three assists) in eight games. Svechnikov and Jarvis each had a goal in their second-round win against the Philadelphia Flyers.<\/p>\n Certainly, they want to get going offensively, but Aho said the way the team is performing overall should be the focal point.<\/p>\n \u201cAway from the puck we\u2019ve been pretty solid,” he said “We\u2019ve got to keep doing that. Offensively, I think we\u2019ve got better than this, for sure. Yeah, it\u2019s definitely not about us, our line. It\u2019s our team.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to win hockey games here and just try to help the team win but yeah, we definitely have talked about it and use this little bit of a break to reset and starting (in Game 1), hopefully play better hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. Goal-den moment<\/p>\n This series will pit emerging star vs. veteran in goal.<\/p>\n Jakub Dobes<\/a>\u00a0has endeared himself to Montreal with his personality and his play. The 24-year-old is 8-6 with a 2.52 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 14 starts for the Canadiens.<\/p>\n He became the third goalie in Montreal history with two Game 7 victories in a single postseason, joining Jaroslav Halak<\/a> in 2010 and Ken Dryden<\/a>\u00a0in 1971 and the sixth NHL rookie to do it, along with Dryden, Jordan Binnington<\/a> (2019), Cam Ward<\/a> (2006), Felix Potvin<\/a> (1993) and Mike Vernon<\/a> (1986).<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Andersen has been magnificent for the Hurricanes. The 32-year-old is 8-0 with a 1.12 GAA, .950 save percentage and two shutouts in eight starts.<\/p>\n