Avalanche, Hurricanes make statement as top Stanley Cup contenders

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Also known as "The Hockey Maven," Fischler delivers his wit and insight to readers each Wednesday. This week is about the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes after they swept the Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators, respectively, to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Though mighty Stanley Cup contenders, each could fall to an underdog, like the Detroit Red Wings in the 1953 NHL Semifinals.

If you happen to believe that the Colorado Avalanche can't miss in their quest to win the Stanley Cup, you have a point after they swept the Los Angeles Kings in the best-of-7 Western Conference First Round. 

Ditto for the Carolina Hurricanes, who eliminated the Ottawa Senators from the Eastern Conference First Round in four games. In past seasons, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour might have nurtured some concerns about goalie Frederik Andersen. 

Not this time. The 36-year-old from Herning, Denmark, enters the second round with a 1.10 goals-against average and .995 save percentage.

"'Fred' was unbelievable," Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker said. "It could have been a different series if he wasn't playing the way he was. Fred stood on his head every night."

Another pleasant surprise was Logan Stankoven, a 22-year old pint-sized center (5-foot-8, 165 pounds) acquired in the trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas Stars on March 7, 2025. Stankoven revved up his game in the homestretch of the regular season and skating with veteran Taylor Hall was a first-round ace with four goals and one assist.

"Logan has been awesome and he's been clicking on my line," Hall said. "His game grew during the regular season and now that the pucks are going in, it makes Logan and the rest of us all feel better."

Meanwhile in Denver, the Avalanche are looking to avenge a seven-game loss to Rantanen and the Stars in the first round last year. Coach Jared Bednar, owner of the second-longest tenure in the NHL with one team after Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning, credits balanced scoring as one reason for Colorado advancing to the second round.

"The Avalanche get a little bit of everything from everyone on their roster," wrote Tracey Myers of NHL.com ahead of Game 4, a 5-1 win in Los Angeles on Sunday that completed the sweep. "It's not just the top line is solely expected to score."

The Avalanche and Hurricanes each harbor high expectations, like the Detroit Red Wings when the reigning Stanley Cup champions were overwhelming favorites against the Boston Bruins in the 1953 NHL Semifinals. Gordie Howe was reaching his prime and the "Production Line" of Howe, Ted Lindsay and Alex Delvecchio was best forward unit in the League.

"Coming off its amazing eight-game sweep in the 1952 playoffs, the Detroit juggernaut hadn't lost any momentum," wrote Roy MacSkimming in "Gordie: A Hockey Legend."

Playing to form, the Red Wings won the opening game 7-0. 

"It looked like we were on the highway to the Final -- and another Stanley Cup," Red Wings general manager Jack Adams said during a media luncheon he hosted in Detroit.

The Bruins won the next three games and the series in six, though 10 days later, there again was joy in Hockeytown when Gordie and Colleen became Mr. and Mrs. Howe on April 15, 1953. 

Under their own great expectations, the Avalanche and Hurricanes each hope to bring championship joy to their respective markets. Like Andersen for Carolina, Scott Wedgewood has given Colorado superlative goaltending, his five goals allowed the second-lowest total by an Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques goalie in a best-of-7 series (minimum four games) behind Philipp Grubauer (four to the Arizona Coyotes in the 2020 first round) and Patrick Roy (four against the Florida Panthers in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final).

The Hurricanes are the third team in NHL history to earn at least one series win in eight consecutive playoff years, following the Montreal Canadiens (10 from 1984-93 and 10 from 1951-60) and the Philadelphia Flyers (nine from 1973-81). 

"Same mindset," Walker said. "No different. Stick to our game plan, play hard every night and keep going."