Carolina's firing could backfire as Montreal may use it as a rallying point in Game 3

That looks small on paper. In a playoff series tied 1-1, it isn't.

Greer had turned into a surprise crossover story after his bilingual anthem in Raleigh on May 21 caught fire with Canadiens fans. Carolina then chose one singer for the rest of the series once it shifts back to Carolina, and Greer said he learned that Monday morning.

Pregame emotion is part of the stage at the Bell Centre, especially with an 8 p.m. puck drop and the building is already hunting for any extra charge.

This is where the Hurricanes misread the room. A routine internal switch became a public slight the second Greer posted his reaction.

Montreal doesn't need this to become a circus. It just needs the crowd to feel that Carolina handed away a little bit of the emotional ice before warmup.

That is the real strategic loss here. Not the anthem itself, but the chance for the Canadiens to frame the Hurricanes as tone-deaf visitors walking into the loudest building of their spring.

Brind'Amour's team usually wins by staying hard, organized, and detached from noise. This kind of side story drags them into noise they created themselves.

And once a series gets personal, every shift gets heavier. Every whistle lasts longer. Every chorus from the stands feels aimed at your bench.

If Montreal leans into the moment, even subtly, Carolina will have gifted its opponent a clean emotional talking point hours before Game 3.

That's why this wasn't just an anthem decision. It was an unforced playoff mistake.