Nikolaj Ehlers scored his second goal of the game at 3:29 of overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 win against the visiting Montreal Canadiens in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Final on Saturday evening in Raleigh, N.C.

Ehlers scored from just above the right hash marks on the rush to even the best-of-7 series at 1-1 heading to Game 3 in Montreal on Monday.

Carolina had lost 10 straight games on home ice in the conference finals round.

Eric Robinson also scored and Frederik Andersen made 10 saves for Carolina, the No. 1 seed from the East which swept its first two opponents in these Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Josh Anderson scored twice and Jakub Dobes made 23 saves for Montreal, which was coming off a 6-2 win in Game 1 on Thursday.

Both teams scored on their first shots on goal nearly nine minutes apart in the first period.

Carolina forward William Carrier attempted a one-timer from above the hash marks, but didn’t make solid contact. Robinson reached out with one hand as he skated through the slot and he redirected the puck to the side of Dobes and across the goal line for a 1-0 lead just 2:33 in.

The Canadiens went the first half of the opening period without a shot on goal before Kaiden Guhle stopped a clearing attempt at the Carolina blue line, passed it to Phillip Danault and he fed Anderson in the slot for a redirection that tied it 1-1 at 11:11.

The Hurricanes outshot Montreal 7-2 in the first period.

Carolina was outshooting the Canadiens 12-4 when Ehlers scored at 17:03 of the second period for a 2-1 lead.

Ehlers took possession of the puck as he crossed the red line with speed. He split between Montreal defenders Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson and turned his back to the net before spinning back around at the left hash marks and shooting the puck between the pads of Dobes.

Anderson got to a loose puck in front of the crease and shot it under Andersen to tie it 2-2 at 12:51 of the third period.

–Field Level Media

Prince Owusu scored a hat trick and assisted on the tying goal in stoppage time as CF Montreal rallied late to salvage a 4-4 draw with D.C. United on Saturday in Washington.

Montreal was down 4-2 entering stoppage time, but Owusu delivered a penalty kick goal in the fourth extra minute and then passed across the box to Hennadii Synchuk for the tying goal six minutes into stoppage time.

Thomas Gillier had six saves for Montreal (4-8-2, 14 points), which has gone 3-2-2 since Phillipe Eullaffroy took over as interim coach last month.

Louis Munteanu, Jared Stroud and Lucas Bartlett scored off set pieces, and Tai Baribo added a penalty kick for D.C. United (4-5-6, 18 points), who have lost just once in their last eight matches.

D.C. United struck first in the ninth minute. On a free kick, Stroud delivered a sideways pass to Brandon Servania, who struck a right-footed shot from 30 yards out.

Gillier batted the attempt, but Munteanu headed the rebound from the middle of the box for his fifth goal in the last six matches for D.C.

In the 28th minute, Stroud made it 2-0 when a failed clear off a corner kick came to his feet on the right side of the box. Stroud slipped a left-footed shot inside the far post for his first goal in an MLS match since 2024.

In the first minute of stoppage time in the first half, Owusu earned a breakaway attempt when he stole the ball from D.C. defender Bartlett. Owusu’s shot from the middle of the box went into the lower left corner.

Early in the second half, Bartlett got his comeuppance, drawing a penalty in the box against Owusu, who fouled him from behind.

Baribo followed with his eighth goal of the season on a penalty kick in the 51st minute, firing into the top right corner.

Owusu’s second goal came in the 61st minute when Wikelman Carmona passed over the top of the D.C. defense. Owusu tracked down the pass and shot from the left side of the box inside the far post.

Bartlett made it 4-2 in the 87th minute with a header off a corner kick by Keisuke Kurokawa.

But in stoppage time, Kurokawa was called for a penalty in the box and Owusu added his third goal on a penalty kick.

It was Owusu’s ninth goal this season and 22nd in two years with Montreal.

–Field Level Media

Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum had to watch her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, unveil the first championship banner the franchise has earned without her before Sunday’s matchup at her old Michelob Ultra Arena home.

In true Plum fashion, she responded by torching the Aces for 38 points while leading the Sparks to an 101-95 win over the defending champions.

Plum made 12-of-17 attempts from the field overall and 6-of-7 from 3-point range, in addition to dishing out nine assists and corralling four rebounds. Plum was just two points shy of her career-high 40, which she put up for the Aces against the Minnesota Lynx in July 2023.

Cameron Brink was a major contributor for Los Angeles, scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds despite fouling out early in the fourth quarter. Brink’s performance came despite the fact that she suffered a nose injury in the first quarter that kept her out for a portion of the first half and was clearly affecting her throughout.

A’ja Wilson paced the Aces with a typical MVP-like stat-line, scoring 24 points and collecting 15 rebounds in the loss. Na’Lyssa Smith also had an efficient night for Las Vegas, scoring 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting in addition to grabbing nine rebounds.

Erica Wheeler put the Sparks ahead for good at 97-94 by burying a step-back 3-pointer over Chennedy Carter with 1:15 remaining. The Aces quickly resorted to fouling, prompting Plum and Dearica Hamby to successfully secure the win from the free throw line.

Trailing 73-72 at the end of the third quarter, the Sparks began the fourth on a quick 8-0 run that put them ahead 80-72 with 9:02 remaining. After Becky Hammon effectively stopped the Sparks momentum with a well-placed timeout, the Aces responded with a 9-2 run of their own to get to within 82-81 with 5:22 remaining.

After Chelsea Gray tied the game for Las Vegas at 90 with a turnaround jumper, Plum put the Sparks back ahead 94-90 with a pair of lay-ins on back-to-back possessions. A’ja Wilson and Carter countered with field goals and brought the Aces back to even at 94-all with 1:36 remaining.

That was the 13th and final tie of the game, which also featured 19 lead changes.

The Aces pulled out to a 52-46 lead at halftime following a high-energy, back and forth first half. Carter led all scorers with 16 points in the half, doing so on 6-of-10 shooting before the break.

Plum led the Sparks with 14 points, all coming in the first quarter, on 5-of-6 shooting in the first half. Plum made her first five attempts from the field, helping the Sparks get out to a 32-30 lead after the first quarter.

–Field Level Media