Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta stops Montreal Canadiens right wing Evgenii Dadonov shot during the second period at PNC Arena. The Hurricanes won 6-2 on Feb. 16, 2023.James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
Seth Jarvis’ father missed the Carolina Hurricanes’ road game earlier this week that was part of the team’s annual trip accompanied by players’ dads.
The young forward put on a show when his father showed up Thursday night.
Jarvis had three goals for his first career hat trick and the Hurricanes scored three times in the first five minutes of the third period to beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-2.
“A pretty incredible feeling,” Jarvis said. “My dad and my brother came in last night, so to have them here to witness that means the world to me.”
Jarvis scored in the first and third periods for his first multigoal game of the season, capping his night with a short-handed goal – the first of his career – with 19.8 seconds left. He has 11 goals this season, but had just two since Christmas before this outburst.
“Special night for him,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “A nice, fitting way to end the game.”
Jarvis had good vibes all day.
“I woke up in a good mood for once,” said Jarvis, who’s in his second NHL season. “The whole day I was kind of happy, in a good mood. When I feel like that, coming to the rink with a smile on my face – I try to do that every day, but some days it’s a little bit easier. And that was one of those days for me and luckily it paid off for me.”
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won nine of their last 10.
“Hopefully, he gets the momentum going,” Aho said. “Sometimes you need a night like this and it takes off.”
Antti Raanta made 20 saves, while Andrei Svechnikov recorded three assists and Brent Burns had two.
Michael Pezzetta and Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored for the Canadiens, but their three-game winning streak ended as they began a four-game road trip. Sam Montembeault stopped 20 shots.
The Canadiens couldn’t stop the onslaught once the Hurricanes got rolling.
“We just let it slip. We got a little complacent,” Pezzetta said. “They’re a good hockey team and they got a lot of good chances and they just capitalized on it.”
Aho broke a 2-2 tie with his team-leading 24th goal of the season 2:05 into the final period. He fought in front of the net for a chance to get his stick on the puck.
“That third period was how we want to play,” Aho said.
Pezzetta opened the scoring 3:24 into the game with his fourth goal of the season.
Kotkaniemi tied it less than nine minutes later, breaking away for a goal at 12:14 of the opening period against his former team. He was signed from the Canadiens on an offer sheet in September 2021 and has secured a point in all three of his career games against Montreal.
Jarvis notched his first goal of the game later in the first period.
Harvey-Pinard registered his seventh goal in 11 games this season on a power play with 4:49 left in the second period.
Notes
Montreal center Kirby Dach missed his first game of the season because of illness. ... The Canadiens failed to score in both visits to Raleigh in the 2021-22 season and their scoreless stretch in Carolina’s home arena extended to more than 179 minutes before scoring. ... A pregame ceremony was held to induct former Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward into the team’s new Hall of Fame.
Up next
Canadiens: At Toronto on Saturday.
Hurricanes: Saturday night vs. Washington in a Stadium Series game at North Carolina State’s Carter-Finley Stadium.