Hurricanes fume after Ivan Demidov goal follows disputed non-call

The play that lit up Game 1 was not just Demidov's finish. It was Alex Newhook's non-call seconds before it.

Carolina's complaint is simple: Newhook got away with a hold, Montreal went the other way, and Demidov buried the chance.

That made it 4-1 Canadiens inside Lenovo Center, a building that went quiet fast after Montreal seized the first period.

The bigger issue for the Hurricanes is that this was not a 2-1 game decided by one whistle. Montreal won 6-2.

Newhook's stick and body position drew the first reaction, then Demidov's release turned the argument into a scoreboard problem.

Demidov jumps into the lane, takes the rush cleanly, and finishes while the crowd reaction disappears in real time.

The second clip captured the damage better than any boxscore line. Demidov's goal did not just extend the lead; it changed the temperature in the rink.

He glides into the open ice, snaps the puck home, and the Lenovo Center noise drops almost instantly.

That is why this sequence has legs. Carolina can argue the hold, but Montreal can point to the response after it.

St-Louis will take that trade every time. His team played through contact, pushed pace, and made the missed-whistle debate feel secondary.

For Carolina, the danger is letting one call become the story inside the locker room before Game 2.

The Hurricanes need a pushback shift, not a grievance file. Montreal already has the series lead and the goal that framed the opener.

Also read on House Of Hockey :
William Nylander's practice moment looks worse after Craig Berube firing