The Eastern Conference Finals. For the better part of two decades, it was a thorn in the Carolina Hurricanes' side. From 2009 to 2025, the team combined to go 1-16, getting swept in 2009, 2019, and 2023 before falling in five games in 2025. When the Canes advanced to the conference finals this season, they had a lot to prove.
With the Canes making their seventh trip, they met the Montreal Canadiens for the first time in the conference finals and the third time since relocation. The organizations met several times in Hartford, with Montreal continually getting the best of them. The Habs finished third in the Atlantic and endured a pair of seven-game series in the first two rounds, so they'd played a lot of hockey.
There were legitimate reasons to doubt the Canes' chances in this series once Montreal was determined as their opponent. Montreal swept the season series with a trio of regulation wins. Jakob Dobes was especially good during their two late-season encounters. Add their long-standing history of crumbling in the third round, and it felt like a recipe for disaster for the Hurricanes.
#13: The Canes got a wake-up call before sprinting past Montreal
When you've won eight games in a row and been off for almost two weeks, you're bound to have a bad night. It's just a shame that it had to come in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, giving us all pause that we were in for another disappointing showing. It didn't start that way, with Seth Jarvis scoring 33 seconds into the contest. When Cole Caufield tied it 27 seconds later, the rout was on.
Montreal scored three more goals in the period to jump out to a 4-1 lead less than 12 minutes in. Caufield nearly added another early in the second, but he rang the post. This gave the Canes a chance to cut into the lead when Eric Robinson was sprung on a breakaway and scored to make it 4-2. Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice in the third period, handing the Canes their first loss of the playoffs.
From this point on, the Hurricanes dominated the series, though it took the scoreboard a while to reflect it. Robinson scored again early in Game 2, redirecting a shot around Dobes' pad. Josh Anderson responded a little past the halfway point in the frame, tying it at one. The Canes were outshooting Montreal 12-2, but the game was deadlocked.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored a beautiful goal late in the second, dangling through a few Canadiens to slide his shot between Dobes' pads. Once again, Anderson was there to respond, sending the game into overtime. In extra time, Ehlers scored the most important goal of the playoffs, snapping a shot home to tie the series at a game apiece. Suddenly, there was hope for the Canes after all.
Game 3 was eerily similar. The Canes scored first, courtesy of Shayne Gostisbehere. Mike Matheson tied it. Less than a minute later, Taylor Hall put the Canes back in front. Early in the second period, Lane Hutson scored on a power play, tying the game at two. Meanwhile, the Canes were peppering Dobes, and Andersen stood on the other end looking for something to do.
The series required overtime for the second straight contest, and it was the Canes getting the best of the Canadiens again. Late in overtime, Andrei Svechnikov scored one of the biggest goals of his career, snapping a shot through Sebastian Aho's screen in front of the net. The team came pouring off the bench, winning a second game in the conference finals for the first time in 20 years.
Finally, the Canes pulled away to get over the hump
After three games of being kept in check by Dobes, the Hurricanes finally showed why they deserved to represent the Eastern Conference. Dobes started Game 4 well, but the Canes broke through on the power play late in the first period. Aho beat him with a one-timer from the near dot to get it going, and the team responded by adding to it.
Within the next three minutes, Jordan Staal added another from the top of the crease, and Logan Stankoven capitalized on a Gostisbehere block leading to a 2-on-1 with Jackson Blake. By the end of the period, the Canes had a 3-0 lead to defend, and defend it they did. They continued to stifle Montreal's creativity, preventing much from getting through to Andersen.
What did make its way to the Canes' netminder was promptly pushed away. He finished the contest with 18 stops and earned his third shutout of the postseason. Svechnikov added the final tally into the empty net for a 4-0 win. Carolina was one win away from their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in two decades, and they had the chance to finish it at home.
In Game 5, the Hurricanes left no doubt, jumping on Montreal early and keeping their feet on the gas. Hall scored a somewhat controversial opening goal after Stankoven made contact with Dobes in the crease. Montreal unsuccessfully challenged for goalie interference. Stankoven put one home himself, and Robinson's third of the series on a breakaway was really the final nail in Montreal's coffin.
They still had two periods left to play, and they kept on scoring. Blake rounded out the scoring for his line, picking up Hall's rebound and putting it home. The power play joined the fun with a goal late in the second. Gostisbehere was in front of the net for some reason, and it ended with him getting the team's fifth goal.
Andersen couldn't finish with back-to-back shutouts, allowing a goal to Caufield on the power play and ending the longest shutout streak in franchise history at 160:13. Jarvis added the final goal of the series into the empty net in a 6-1 victory. For the third time in team history, the Hurricanes were the princes of the Eastern Conference, doing what many speculated couldn't be done.
In five games, the Hurricanes only allowed 89 shots. They nearly doubled the Canadiens' output. It was a total team effort, with 12 players recording at least three points and 16 of their 18 skaters finding the scoresheet. Nikolaj Ehlers led the way with five points, while the Canes' fourth line stood out as their best throughout the entire series.
This series probably wasn't the most exciting from start to finish, but it will always hold a special place in our hearts for many years to come. It was two decades of frustration being released by the organization. They overcame a tough start, battled through a few tight games on the scoreboard, and fought their way to the top. In many ways, the party is still going.
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