The only way to describe the Carolina Hurricanes at the beginning of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs was shellshocked. Despite winning the Southeast Division and finishing with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens had stormed into Raleigh and taken Games 1 & 2 by outscoring the Canes 12-6. Heading to Montreal for the next two games, the situation was getting dire for the Hurricanes.
The definitive turning point in the team's run was Peter Laviolette calling on Cam Ward for Game 3. Behind a brilliant performance between the pipes, some third-period heroics from Rod Brind'Amour, and a one-timer on the power play by Eric Staal in overtime, the Canes found their rhythm. Carolina finished Montreal with three more one-goal victories, clinching the series in Game 6 on Cory Stillman's overtime blast from just inside the offensive zone.
Their next opponent was the all-too-familiar New Jersey Devils. Going back to the end of the regular season, the Devils were the hottest team in the league. They closed the season on an 11-game win streak before Martin Brodeur allowed just four games in their sweep of the New York Rangers in the quarterfinals.
The Carolina Hurricanes arrived for Game 1 against the Devils not impressed with their recent run. The Canes sent Brodeur to the showers early, scoring five goals on the power play and six overall as Ward blanked the Devils 6-0. Five Hurricanes recorded multi-point games, led by two goals from Ray Whitney and three points from Staal.
Game 2 will forever live in Hurricanes lore and is a story you've likely heard a million times. New Jersey came back with fight, scoring with 20 seconds left to take the lead. Staal responded by tying it with three seconds left before "The Secret Weapon" Niclas Wallin scored in overtime to send the RBC Center into a frenzy.
Game 3 was another tight one but a late second-period power-play goal from Brind'Amour helped the Canes take a 3-2 lead into the third period. Ward shut the door down the stretch, making 28 stops to help the Canes take a stranglehold on the series.
The Devils would manage a win in Game 4 to prevent the sweep, ending the Canes' playoff win streak at seven games. The team has never gone on a run like that since, coming close with six straight wins in 2019. The Hurricanes would finish New Jersey in Game 5, beating them 4-1 to once again eliminate them from the playoffs.
The rest, as they say, was history. The Canes would make their second-ever appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, beating the Buffalo Sabres in seven games before reaching the top of the mountain in their seven-game triumph over the Edmonton Oilers. If not for a goalie switch and a scorching seven-game stretch, the Stanley Cup might not have come to Raleigh.