ECF Recap: Canes Oust Canadiens In Five

RALEIGH, N.C. - Through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it was all roses for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Just the fifth team in NHL history to sweep the first two rounds, the unit's quick work led to an 11-day layoff between their series finale in Philadelphia and their third Eastern Conference Final (ECF) appearance in the last four years.

Stripping them of their game flow, a disjointed first period in Game 1 at home against Montreal led to the first blemish of the postseason journey. However, instead of it being a preview of what was to come and yet another haunting third-round appearance, it served as a necessary wake-up call.

From there? Domination.

Outscoring Montreal 16-5 over the final four games, perhaps the more telling number was the shot totals in Games 2-5. 139-67, Carolina controlled possession and flexed its muscles on a younger Canadiens group with an undoubted bright future ahead of it.

It simply wasn't their time.

This series belonged to the group with battle scars and a hunger to get over a hump that's been an Achilles' heel for the last 19 years.

• Game 1: Seth Jarvis struck in the first minute, but the Canadiens roared back with four first-period goals and cruised to a 6-2 victory.
• Game 2: Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice, including the overtime winner, to give his team a 3-2 win and even the series.
• Game 3: Andrei Svechnikov bagged Carolina's second OT dagger of the series to lift his team to a 3-2 victory and a 2-1 series lead.
• Game 4: Three goals separated by 2:46 in the first period and an 18-save shutout from Frederik Andersen saw the Canes take a 4-0 win in Montreal.
• Game 5: Another first-period trio of goals paved the way to what ended as a 6-1 close-out victory for the Canes in Raleigh.

A total team effort throughout, highlights were abundant.

Put The Clamps On 'Em...

Smothering, suffocating, whatever your description of choice is, that's what the Hurricanes did to the Canadiens, especially in the final four games of the series.

As they did for the duration of the regular season and their first eight playoff games, Rod Brind'Amour's group dominated possession and had the neutral zone on lock, holding their foes' chances few and far between. Forecheck, bang bodies, get the puck back, put it on net, repeat.

"Everyone was on, and all four lines were just going. We've called it the machine before, and just kind of kept it running, and it didn't stop," Jordan Staal accurately described after Game 4 in Montreal.

When the Habs did get their limited chances, Frederik Andersen was stellar behind the defense. Turning the page from Game 1, the veteran allowed just five goals over the final four games of the series.

"His calming presence back there, how well he plays the puck, and he just doesn't scramble around the net," Taylor Hall glowingly reviewed how the backstop has helped the club. "It's nice when you have a guy like that to just settle things down. He just seems to make that big save when we need him to. He's been great up to this point."

Comfortable Doing Whatever It Takes...

Although some of the numbers suggest that Games 2 and 3 shouldn't have been as close as they were, nor contests that should have wound up in overtime, both were opportunities for the team to showcase their level of comfort in close games.

Nikolaj Ehlers served as the overtime hero in the series-leveling contest, and Andrei Svechnikov followed suit as the battle shifted to Montreal.

Remaining calm even as Carolina dictated play in both contests, there was never panic amongst the veteran-heavy roster.

"We have a lot of experience. We have a lot of guys who have been around for a long time and in these situations. It’s pretty easy just to keep it light in there," Seth Jarvis described of the locker room between third periods and overtime. "It’s the greatest moment of all of our lives. This is the best time. So you kind of just go into OT, and you want to make the memories."

Make the memories they did, and after getting those two results, it's plausible to make the argument that they also broke Montreal's will. For the most part, Games 4 and 5 were non-competitive.

Had they not remained composed in the stressful situations earlier in the series, they might have had to write a different story.

"If we have to go to overtime every game, we're ready for that," Taylor Hall added. "I mean, we're 5-0 in overtime now, so that's a sign that we're going to bend, not break, and continue playing our game."

Production From Everywhere...

The line of Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven, and Taylor Hall was unquestionably the star of the show, at least offensively, for Carolina in the first two rounds. While they were certainly impactful once again in the latest series victory, this time around, the contributions were more even across the board.

Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov had more success than the wins over Ottawa and Philadelphia, which was certainly encouraging, but the series leader in goals for the group? Eric Robinson.

Finding twine in Games 2, 3, and 5, he was noticeable seemingly every time he touched the ice.

"Everyone in the playoffs talks about needing all four lines. That really tips the scales when you can have a fourth line not only playing in their end and generating momentum, but finding the back of the net. It's a game-changer," Hall said.

Going on to call the trio of Robinson, Mark Jankowski, and William Carrier "a nightmare to play against", Hall also reminded that they're not just forechecking beasts; they, like the rest of the team, give up no free ice to the opposition.

"Those guys have been together for a while now. I think the chemistry was really starting to come together at the end of the regular season," Hall continued. "They have a good blend of skill, size, and speed."

Carrier, who was facing his hometown team, was not on the ice for a single goal against at even strength over the five games.

In total, Carolina's 18 goals in the series came from 10 different players, a necessary ingredient at this time of year.

Stankoven's nine goals lead the Hurricanes, and are only bested league-wide by Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden (10 each), whom he'll face in the next round with the Vegas Golden Knights.