Hurricanes ‘do everything faster,’ says Canadiens’ Ivan Demidov

The season for the Montreal Canadiens came to a close on Friday evening at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, who returned to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years.

The Hurricanes dealt the Canadiens a 6-1 loss at Lenovo Center, capping what had truly been a disappointing final four games of the series that saw Montreal outmatched up front, while also struggling to put pucks on net. In fact, for the first time in team history, the Canadiens registered 18 or fewer shots in three straight playoff games.

Ivan Demidov, who struggled to find space during the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, would say that the Hurricanes not only limited his space even further but also did everything as a team quicker than the Canadiens.

“I would say yeah, it’s pretty similar, but (the Hurricanes) do everything faster,” Demidov said via The Athletic. “It’s just, you know, you have to do everything better. Do everything faster.

“That’s how it works.”

The Canadiens learned the hard way what it means to face the Hurricanes, a team renowned for its stingy defense and relentless forechecking under head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who became the first NHL head coach since former Canadiens legend Toe Blake to lead a team to the Stanley Cup Final as both a player and a head coach.

The Canadiens, who defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres in the first two rounds of the playoffs, are heading back home, while the Hurricanes prepare to face the Vegas Golden Knights starting on Tuesday.