2. 2001-02
Some might consider the 2001-02 season the most magical and spirited run for the Canes in franchise history. However, they ultimately fell short at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals.
Carolina’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals was a tremendous underdog story that took Raleigh by storm. Many hailed the EA Sports Arena as the “loudest venue in hockey”. That’s something that sounds very foreign now with PNC Arena being half-empty now on many occasions.
The trio of Ron Francis, Jeff O’Neill, and Sami Kapanen powered the Canes to beat the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens, and Toronto Maple Leafs before facing the Red Wings. Each of those series had the Canes slated as underdogs.
Every Canes fan will always remember this special season where Francis scored an overtime goal to beat the Wings in Game 1 of the Cup Finals and actually made the fans in Detroit a little bit nervous. Detroit would rattle off four straight wins to bring home the Stanley Cup, though.