Their Paths to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final
Despite being on the lower end of the point totals, the Hurricanes earned home-ice advantage in the quarterfinals against the New Jersey Devils as the Southeast Division champions. Needing a lot of heroics, the Canes finished the Devils in six games to earn the first postseason victory since relocation. They faced the 2002 Hart and Vezina winner Jose Theodore and the Canadiens in the conference semifinals, the only team in the East to finish with fewer points than them. After falling behind 2-1 in the series, the Molson Miracle helped turn the tables and give the Canes three straight wins to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time.
The Hurricanes' battle with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Prince of Wales Trophy was tight. During the six-game tilt, all but one game was decided by one goal, four of which ended 2-1. Aided by three overtime victories, the Canes fended off the Leafs on Martin Gelinas' series-winner in overtime during Game 6. Arturs Irbe and Kevin Weekes did an incredible job of keeping teams off the board, while a balanced offensive attack allowed everyone to get involved.
Detroit's road saw them defeat Vancouver and St. Louis before locking into a battle in the Western Conference Final with the Colorado Avalanche. Much like the Red Wings at the time, the Avalanche had become a dynasty. The two sides had waged war several times leading up to the 2002 playoffs, but this seven-game series to decide the conference was phenomenal. The Red Wings were too much for the Avalanche to handle, winning 7-0 in Game 7 to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.