MONTREAL — After being nearly a point-a-game producer and eclipsing 30 goals during the regular season as one of the Carolina Hurricanes’ leading scorers, Andrei Svechnikov did not have much to show for his first 10 playoff games this spring.Then came overtime Monday night.Svechnikov’s goal to win Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens was just his second of the postseason and fifth point, and it gave Carolina a 2-1 series lead. It was a much-needed moment for the 26-year-old Russian winger.“It’s the most important time of my life right now — of our life as a team — and you’ve got to get on the scoresheet somehow,” Svechnikov said. “I think we’re just playing good as a line. We’re creating a lot, and (in Game 3) we create lots of chances.”Carolina’s top line of Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis had not been producing in the playoffs. The trio of Taylor Hall, Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven was chiefly responsible for the offense that got the Hurricanes through the first two rounds unbeaten with a pair of sweeps.But after nearly tripling the Canadiens in shots, they cashed in when it mattered most.“It’s awesome,” said defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who opened the scoring with his first goal of the playoffs. “Those guys built the foundation of this team, and they carried us this whole season. It’s nice to see them, obviously, get the results that they’ve been working hard for.”Especially Svechnikov, whom teammates consistently tell to shoot. “He’s the strongest guy on the ice, and when he’s playing a power forward role is when he’s his best,” Gostisbehere said. “We always say, ‘Just go be an animal out there — s …
