RALEIGH, N.C. _ For the Carolina Hurricanes, the year 2019 was memorable, at times exhilarating.
Rod Brind'Amour's first year as the Canes coach ended in the Stanley Cup playoffs, in the Eastern Conference finals. His second season began in October with five straight victories, with so many possibilities.
"We've definitely raised the bar in a year," Brind'Amour said Tuesday. "The expectations have gone up. It's been a good, positive year and hopefully we can have another one."
What the Canes wanted Tuesday was to end 2019 with a victory over the Montreal Canadiens, with one last Storm Surge before a sellout crowd on New Year's Eve. The Canes got it, winning 3-1 at PNC Arena.
Erik Haula, whose availability was not known until just before game time, had a goal and assist for the Canes (24-14-2). Sebastian Aho and Ryan Dzinegl also had goals, Aho on an early power play and Dzingel with a late empty netter after the Canes had killed off a Dzingel penalty.
For much of the game, goalies Petr Mrazek and the Canadiens' Charlie Lindgren were the best players on the ice. The Canes expected to face Carey Price, but Lindgren made his first start of the season in net for the Habs, who were playing the last of seven straight road games.
The Canadiens (18-16-6) believed they had tied the score 2-2 with 8:08 left in regulation, when forward Ryan Poehling banged in a shot after a Shea Weber shot was wide and caromed off the end boards. The Canes successfully challenged the goal, claiming goaltender interference by the Habs' Phillip Danault.
Aho had an early power-play goal in the first period and Haula an even-strength score in the second.
Teuvo Teravainen, playing his 400th game, assisted on both goals and also was responsible for the Habs' first goal, in the first period. Montreal's Max Domi stripped Teravainen of the puck in the Canes zone and quickly whipped a rising shot past Mrazek _ Domi with goals in six straight games, all on the road, a Montreal franchise record.
But Teravainen then teamed up with defenseman Brett Pesce to set up Haula for an easy tap-in. Pesce jumped into the rush, took a pass from Teravainen to Lindgren's right and backhanded a pass to Haula on the far side.
Mrazek made a goal-saving stop with 28 seconds left in the second to maintain a 2-1 lead. Andrei Svechnikov made an errant pass from behind the Canes net, allowing Danault a shot in front that Mrazek stopped.
Lindgren had a big one of his own early in the third. Aho, who followed up a Haula shot for his power-play score, was inches away from a second power-play goal but Lindgren stretched to glove the puck at the goal line _ another play that was reviewed.
Haula did not practice Monday and missed Tuesday's morning skate. Canes coach Rod Brind'Amour called him a game-time decision _ Haula continuing to have some knee issues _ but the center was good to go.
The Canes did go down a forward in the second period when Martin Necas, positioned in front of the Montreal net, caught a shot flush in the face. Necas immediately skated to the bench and was taken off for treatment but returned for the third period.
The canes could have an addition for the second half of the season: Justin Williams, the Canes' captain last year. Williams, 38, has been semi-retired but has been skating and training in recent months and could return in 2020 for the second half of the season.
"I mean, I would welcome him back," Brind'Amour said Tuesday. "That would be nice to see. That will come to fruition, or not, pretty soon because this hockey year is definitely winding down."
