The string of disappointments in the conference finals can now be put in the past for the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes are finally back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years after dispatching the Montreal Canadiens in five games in the Eastern Conference finals, capped by a dominant 6-1 victory on Friday in Raleigh, N.C.
“It’s been a long road with this group,” defenseman Jaccob Slavin told Sportsnet. “We’ve been close, we’ve been close, we’ve been close, but this is that last step we needed to take, and we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
Carolina will face the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final, which begins on Tuesday in Raleigh. Vegas swept the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference finals.
The Hurricanes, who lost in the conference finals in 2019, 2022 and 2024, have been outstanding this spring in their quest to win a Cup for the first time since 2006. They lost only one game en route to reaching the Stanley Cup Final, the first team to open the playoffs with a 12-1 mark since the 1976 Canadiens, and they finished off this year’s Montreal club in emphatic fashion.
Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven each posted one-goal, two-assist performances in the clinching clash, while Jackson Blake and Seth Jarvis both scored once and added an assist.
Eric Robinson and Shayne Gostisbehere added a tally apiece and goaltender Frederik Andersen made 23 saves in an emotional outing one day after his long-time agent Claude Lemieux died.
“We’re a family. You can’t really say much more,” Andersen said on the TNT broadcast. “It’s so special to be able to show up for him and make him proud. The whole team supported me as well.”
Cole Caufield scored for the Canadiens, who won the series opener but became overmatched by the more veteran Hurricanes as the series continued.
Montreal goalie Jakub Dobes stopped 24 shots.
Just as in Game 4, the hosts used a three-goal first period to springboard to victory.
Hall opened the scoring just before the midway point of the opening frame, Stankoven doubled the lead six minutes later, and Robinson capped the dominant period by converting a breakaway chance.
Blake made it a four-goal edge at 7:19 of the second period, and Gostisbehere recorded a power-play goal late in the middle frame to make it a 5-0 affair.
Caufield spoiled Andersen’s bid for a second consecutive shutout when he notched a power-play goal with 9:10 remaining in regulation. Jarvis rounded out the scoring with an empty-net goal.
The loss ends an exciting run for a Canadiens club that was the youngest team to reach the playoffs and claimed a pair of Game 7 victories to reach the conference finals.
“Lots of lessons to be learned. Lots to be proud of,” defenseman Lane Hutson said. “I have no doubt we’ll be back in this situation again. I’m proud of the group and looking forward to start the journey again.”
Captain Nick Suzuki added, “You never know how many chances you’re going to get a few games away from the Stanley Cup Final. The future is bright with a lot of young players, a core that can hopefully stay together for a long time and do a lot more winning.”
–Field Level Media
