For the first time in the series, one team's season was on the line. Unlike in years past, that team was not the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes got the job done in Montreal, winning Game 3 in overtime before putting forth their most complete effort of the series in Game 4. They scored three goals in under three minutes in the first period to pace a 4-0 victory and take a 3-1 series lead.
The Canes felt no need to switch anything up, keeping the same lineup once more. Frederik Andersen, fresh off his league-leading third shutout, was back between the pipes in front of the home crowd. It initially appeared that Kaiden Guhle was going to be out of the lineup for Arber Xhekaj after the morning skate, but he was good to go for tonight's game, keeping Montreal's lineup the same, too.
Just like Wednesday, the Canes came out of the gates flying. They endured an early penalty kill before breaking the ice. Taylor Hall popped home a loose puck in the crease, though Montreal unsuccessfully challenged for goalie interference. Logan Stankoven added another with a top-shelf snipe, and less than two minutes later, Eric Robinson buried a breakaway. After 20, it was all Carolina.
The pressure continued for the Canes in the second, and the Stankoven line kept scoring. Hall was stopped on a breakaway, but Jackson Blake followed it up and put it into the net to give each forward on the line a goal. Late in the period, the power play added another. Shayne Gostisbehere doesn't usually work around the net, but he did this time, putting it past Dobes to make it 5-0 after two.
The Canadiens finally broke through the Danish wall, with Cole Caufield scoring on the power play to snap Andersen's franchise record-breaking shutout streak. They shut the door from there. The top line put one more puck into the empty net, securing the win and the series for the home team. For the first time since 2006, the Hurricanes emerged as the Eastern Conference Champions.
The Stankoven line picked a good night for their best game of the series
While they'd been the Canes' best line for most of the postseason, the Stankoven line hadn't done a ton in this series. That changed tonight. They were right back to being the game-breaking line we'd come to expect. They set the tone tonight, and they helped carry the team over the line. They finished with eight points, with Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven picking up three each.
I'll be completely honest, I didn't think the first goal was going to count. I don't exactly understand how it wasn't goalie interference on Stankoven, but the league clearly felt it wasn't. Frankly, it didn't matter that much. Stankoven left no doubt when he scored another goal later in the period. Jackson Blake had two points, finishing the trifecta with a rebound goal and putting it away for good.
Andersen shook off a tough first game to get back on the right track
Frederik Andersen allowed five goals in each round against Ottawa and Philadelphia. In Game 1, the Canadiens put five behind him. It was starting to feel like old ghosts were haunting the team. However, he locked back in for the remainder of the series. Over the next four games, Montreal only scored five more times. Tonight, he was outstanding once again, stopping 23 shots.
It's no secret that the last few days have been incredibly tough for the Canes' netminder. On Thursday, the hockey world suffered an incredible loss as Claude Lemieux passed away. Lemieux, a fierce competitor on the ice, was Andersen's agent and a very close friend. It was clear during his postgame interview how much this moment meant to him, and the team rallied behind him.
Additional Thoughts
The Hurricanes' fourth line was arguably the team's best throughout the series, and their goal late in the first period was likely the dagger. After not scoring in the first two rounds, they couldn't be stopped. Eric Robinson picked up the goal for the group tonight, sliding home a breakaway chance for his third goal of the series.
It was clear as the Eastern Conference Finals rolled along that the Montreal Canadiens were running on fumes after two grueling seven-game series. They had no answer for anything that the Canes threw at them after the opening game. Jakub Dobes was given no help from the team in front of him. He had a rougher game tonight, but it shouldn't overshadow how well he looked against Carolina.
Up Next: The next time that the Carolina Hurricanes take the ice, they'll be playing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Better yet, Game 1 on Tuesday night will be at the Lenovo Center, owning home ice over their next opponent, the Vegas Golden Knights. It'll be a Tuesday-Thursday start to the series before they head to Vegas for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Tuesday.
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