Since sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers, the Carolina Hurricanes have experienced a miniature offseason. They've gotten some business done and can now focus their attention on the "new season" they're about to begin. After this much time off, that's probably the best way to look at the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Hurricanes are in this spot for the third time in four seasons and the fourth time in eight seasons under Rod Brind'Amour. This time, they don't have the Florida Panthers to worry about. The Canes have remained perfect to this point in the playoffs, but none of that matters now. They have to find a way to get through to the Stanley Cup Final, and it begins tonight against the Montreal Canadiens.
On the Other Side: Montreal Canadiens
Season Series: The Canadiens got the better of the Hurricanes during all three meetings during the regular season. The teams played a high-scoring, low-defense game on New Year's Day, ending in a 7-5 Montreal victory. In March, the Canes struggled to beat Jakub Dobes. They lost in Montreal, 5-2, before falling at home, 3-1, soon after.
Montreal has played a lot of hockey since the start of the postseason. Their opening-round collision with the Lightning went seven games. They managed just nine shots in Game 7, but they scored twice to win, 2-1. In the second round, they went seven games once more against Buffalo, winning the series in overtime on Alex Newhook's overtime winner.
While their top line and Lane Hutson have provided a good bit of the scoring, the Canadiens have gotten solid contributions throughout their lineup. Newhook paces the team with seven goals, and nine players have at least seven points. Still, the top line is going to be their most dangerous, especially on the power play, where they've scored 12 of Montreal's 13 power-play goals.
Along with keeping Montreal's stars in check, the Canes must find a way to beat Jakub Dobes, who has played all but 8:23 of Montreal's 14 games this postseason. After a strong performance against Tampa, Dobes experienced a few more highs and lows in the second round. He recorded a sub-.900 save percentage and allowed 21 goals in seven games.
What to Watch in Game 1
The first ten minutes: One of my keys for this series, and the one thing that is certain to be mentioned a few times early in the broadcast, was how this long layoff will affect the Hurricanes relative to Montreal's quick turnaround. In the second round, after a week off, the Canes jumped on the Flyers early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first eight minutes of Game 1.
Tonight, I'm keeping a close eye on how the team looks during the first half of the first period. Montreal has scored a first-period goal in every game since Game 6 of the first round, and they scored in the first eight minutes four times against the Sabres, including each of their last three. I'm anticipating an early goal or two, and I'd like for it to be in the Canes' favor as they shake off the rust.
Andersen vs. Dobes: Frederik Andersen would be my leading candidate for the team's MVP thus far during the postseason. He has gotten spectacular help from the Stankoven line and his defense, but that shouldn't be used to undersell how valuable he has been. I think the same could be said for Jakub Dobes, albeit under slightly different circumstances.
They faced off twice during the regular season, and Dobes was miles better than Andersen on both occasions. However, this is a new season, so everything is back to zero. While Dobes has been insanely valuable to Montreal's run, he's been far from perfect. If the Canes can get to him early and often, they should be in a great spot to succeed in Game 1.
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