How Hurricanes reached Stanley Cup Final

The Carolina Hurricanes are in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006, when they won the Cup for the only time in their history.

The Hurricanes advanced to the Final with a 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Friday.

Carolina will face the Vegas Golden Knights in the Final. Vegas swept the best-of-7 Western Conference Final with a 2-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 on Tuesday.

The Hurricanes exorcised their Conference Final demons against the Canadiens; this was the fourth time they got to this point since 2019, losing each time -- including last season, when they lost in five games to the eventual Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Carolina was once again one of the top teams in the East, and finished first in the Metropolitan Division for the third time in five seasons. It won its division three straight seasons from 2020-23 (it was in the Central Division in 2020-21, which was shortened to 56 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

The Hurricanes made quick work of their first two Stanley Cup Playoff opponents, too, eliminating the Ottawa Senators in four games in the Eastern Conference First Round and the Philadelphia Flyers in four games in the second round. They probably had more off days than they would have liked, but it allowed them to stay fresh and rested for the Conference Final.

Outside of a rough Game 1 in the conference final, Carolina was strong, smothering on defense and finding the right amount of offense to dispatch Montreal.

Here are some of the highlights for the Hurricanes on the road to the Stanley Cup Final.

BEST MOMENT: We’ll go with Game 4 of the Conference Final with this one. After two tight games decided in overtime, it looked like this was going to be a tussle of a series. But Carolina put an end to that speculation with a convincing 4-0 win in Game 4 in Montreal on Wednesday. The tide had turned and the Hurricanes defense was stifling the Canadiens, who couldn’t find an answer. It was a statement game for Carolina, and the beginning of the end for Montreal.

TURNING POINT: Tough to say, because of the previously mentioned sweeps, but we’ll go with forward Nikolaj Ehlers’ goal to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 overtime win in Game 2 of the Conference Final. Why this one? Because finding that guy to score that goal at that point of the playoffs had been an issue for Carolina for several postseasons. Ehlers, who signed a six-year, $51 million contract with the Hurricanes on July 3, showed why he was such a coveted commodity last summer. A big-time player came through with a big-time moment.

BEST MOVES MADE: Other than signing Ehlers in the offseason? Let’s go with coach Rod Brind’Amour’s decision in Game 2 of the conference final when he put his third line, led by captain Jordan Staal, against the Canadiens’ top line of left wing Cole Caufield, center Nick Suzuki and right wing Juraj Slafkovsky. Those three were big in Montreal’s 6-2 win in Game 1, when they faced the Hurricanes’ top line of left wing Andrei Svechnikov, center Sebastian Aho and right wing Seth Jarvis. Staal, Ehlers and right wing Jordan Martinook shut the Canadiens’ top players down en route to a 3-2 overtime win that tied the series 1-1.

BEST MOVES NOT MADE: Carolina stuck with goaltender Frederik Andersen after he allowed five goals in Game 1 of the conference final. What happened in that game was not Andersen’s fault; the Hurricanes had their worst game of the playoffs, allowing the Canadiens way too many wide-open opportunities and rush chances. Andersen was outstanding through the first two rounds and there was no need to make the switch as far as Brind’Amour was concerned. He was right. 

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SIGNATURE WIN (REGULAR SEASON): When Carolina faced the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 4, it had lost six of its previous eight games (2-5-1). The Hurricanes' 3-1 victory began a four-game winning streak that helped steady the ship. Forward Taylor Hall had a goal and an assist against his former team (he played for the Devils from 2016-20) and the Hurricanes were 5-for-5 on the penalty kill. The Hurricanes wouldn’t lose two straight in regulation the rest of the regular season. Not bad.

SIGNATURE WIN (PLAYOFFS): That’s easy: When they eliminated the Canadiens in Game 5. A three-goal first period put the Hurricanes on track to make sure this series didn’t go back to Montreal. As good as the Canadiens’ road game was, it wasn’t anywhere to be found Friday. Carolina struck first, struck often and left Montreal reeling. No surprise that second line of left wing Hall, center Logan Stankoven and right wing Jackson Blake were once again pivotal. That trio has been outstanding all postseason and was there again when the Hurricanes were going for the jugular. 

MVP: We’re going with Andersen here. Pick a glowing adjective and that describes Andersen’s postseason. The 36-year-old is 12-1 with a 1.41 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and three shutouts in 13 starts. He was especially magnificent through the first two rounds, when he was 8-0 with a 1.12 goals-against average, .950 save percentage and two shutouts. Andersen has more than earned his first career trip to the Cup Final.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Hall. No, this isn’t doubting his talent. He was selected No. 1 by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL Draft for a reason. But we wouldn’t have picked him to be leading the Hurricanes through three rounds of the playoffs. Nevertheless that’s where he is, with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 13 games. The 34-year-old had three points (one goal, two assists) for Carolina in Game 5 on Friday. He’s in the Cup Final for the first time in his career and has been a force for the Hurricanes in getting there.