Demidov's goal helped Montreal beat Carolina in the NHL playoffs.

The Montreal Canadiens hockey Club defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in the first semi-final match of the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff series. The match took place on May 21 and ended with a score of 6:2.

As part of the Canadian club, Russian striker Ivan Demidov scored a goal. For the 20-year-old forward, this effective action was the eighth in the current draw of the tournament. In total, the Russian has three goals and five assists in 15 Stanley Cup matches in 2026.

Phillip Dano, Alexandre Texier, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkowski also scored goals for the winners. Eric Robinson and Seth Jarvis scored for the home team.

The Russian striker of the Hurricanes, Andrei Svechnikov, scored an assist in this meeting. The 26-year-old has now scored 4 points (1 goal and 3 assists) in nine playoff games.

The score in the series to four wins was 1-0 in favor of Montreal. The second match of the confrontation is scheduled for Sunday, May 24. The game will start at 02:00 Moscow time.

Semi-final shot: will Vegas and Montreal be able to jump over their heads

"Carolina" and "Colorado" still look like favorites in the fight for the trophy.

HC Montreal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres in the 1/4 finals of the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs on May 19 and advanced to the semifinals with a score of 3:2 in overtime. The Canadian club won for the 17th time in the seventh match in the NHL playoffs.