RALEIGH, N.C. (Interstat) — Nikolaj Ehlers scored two goals, including the overtime winner, as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Saturday at Lenovo Center in front of 18,819. Ehlers tied the game in the second period and then netted the decisive goal at 12:29 of overtime. Eric Robinson also scored for Carolina, which improved to 62-30. Frederik Andersen stopped 10 shots. Jalen Chatfield had two assists and Mark Jankowski added two helpers. Josh Anderson scored both Montreal goals, his fourth and fifth of the playoffs, with assists from Phillip Danault, who also had two assists. The Canadiens dropped to 57-41. Montreal struck first on Anderson’s first-period goal. Robinson tied it for Carolina. Ehlers gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead in the second, but Anderson equalized in the third. Then Ehlers won it in overtime. The series continues Monday in Montreal.

RALEIGH, N.C. (Interstat) — Nikolaj Ehlers scored his second goal of the game at 12:29 of overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday at Lenovo Center before a crowd of 18,819. The Hurricanes took a 2-1 series lead in the playoff matchup. Carolina improved to 62-30, while Montreal fell to 57-41. Ehlers, who also scored in the second period, finished with two goals on five shots and was named the game’s top star. He had been held to one shot on goal in Carolina’s 6-2 loss to Montreal two nights earlier. The game remained tight throughout regulation. Montreal struck first at 11:11 of the opening period when Josh Anderson wristed a shot past goaltender Frederik Andersen off assists from Phillip Danault and Kaiden Guhle. The Canadiens carried that 1-0 lead until Carolina answered at 2:33 of the first period. Eric Robinson tipped in a shot from William Carrier with Mark Jankowski also drawing an assist. Carolina then seized a 2-1 advantage at 14:34 of the second period. Ehlers beat goaltender Jakub Dobes with a wrist shot, assisted by Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield. Montreal tied the game at 2-2 with 3:09 remaining in the third period. Anderson notched his second goal of the night, a wrist shot from assists by Alexandre Carrier and Danault. That forced overtime. In the extra session, Carolina controlled the puck deep. Mark Jankowski set up Ehlers, who fired a wrist shot that eluded Dobes. Chatfield also earned an assist on the winning goal. Dobes stopped 10 of 13 shots in the loss. Andersen made 10 saves on 12 shots for the win. Anderson led Montreal with two goals on two shots and one hit. Danault posted two assists and two hits. Guhle registered an assist. For Carolina, Chatfield had two assists and two hits. Jankowski collected two assists. Slavin added one assist. Robinson scored one goal on two shots. Jordan Staal recorded one hit. The Canadiens had won the previous head-to-head meeting Thursday at Carolina, 6-2. Montreal also won a 3-1 decision in Raleigh on March 29 and a 5-2 home win on March 24. Penalties included Jayden Struble called for roughing at 16:36 of the first period, Andrei Svechnikov for boarding at 18:16, and Logan Stankoven for interference at 8:33 of the first period. In the second period, Jakub Dobes was whistled for interference and Alexandre Texier for slashing. The series continues Monday in Montreal. Carolina had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total of five goals went over the over-under line of 5.5.