The 20-year wait is over. The Carolina Hurricanes are going back to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Hurricanes left no doubt on Friday night, blitzing the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 to win the Eastern Conference Final in five games and advance to the championship series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Eric Robinson scored in a dominating first period, then Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere added second-period goals that pushed the Hurricanes to a commanding lead over the Canadiens
The Hurricanes swept through the first two rounds and have won the last three games in the series, the last being Wednesday’s 4-0 road win that had them in complete control and staying on a smothering game. And Game 5 picked right up where that left off, with the Hurricanes taking a 15-4 edge in shots on goal while steadily pinning the Canadiens in their own end and attacking Jakub Dobes in net
Hall struck first by finishing a feed from Logan Stankoven, who had crashed into Dobes on the left side. The Canadiens challenged the call for goaltender interference, but officials determined after a replay review that it should stand.
Hall returned the favor by feeding Stankoven from behind the net for a score on the right side. And late in the period, William Carrier sent a high flip from deep in his own end to feed Robinson, who charged across the blue line to beat Mike Matheson to the puck and slip it underneath Dobes for the 3-0 lead that sent a buzzing home crowd into yet another roar.
Logan Stankoven celebrates his goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period on Friday in Raleigh. Karl DeBlaker
Blake scored by skating in to clean up a loose rebound when Dobes stopped a breakaway for Hall, while Gostisbehere finished a power-play feed from Seth Jarvis near the crease for the 5-0 lead.
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Seth Jarvis added an empty-net goal late in the third period for the final margin.
The Hurricanes entered this series having gone 1-12 in the Eastern Conference Final in their eight-year postseason run under coach Rod Brind’Amour, falling in sweeps to Boston in 2019 and Florida in 2023 before losing in five games to the Panthers in last year’s rematch.
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But after regrouping from the Game 1 debacle, the Hurricanes took control of the series from the young and skilled Canadiens, who had arrived at this round ahead of schedule, to put themselves back in the Stanley Cup Final.
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The last time the Hurricanes were in that round? Brind’Amour was the captain on a team that hoisted the Cup in a seven-game series against Edmonton in 2006.
The Hurricanes became the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with only one loss since 1983, according to SportRadar, and the only team to do so since the league went to best-of-seven series in all four postseason rounds in 1987.
The Stanley Cup Final begins Tuesday night in Raleigh. All games will air on ABC11.
– The Associated Press contributed.
One fan said it’s been “amazing” to watch the Hurricanes this season.
The Carolina Hurricanes Foundation has given back to the community during the playoff run. “We are excited that we could offer these grants.”
Retired NHL legend Claude Lemieux was also Freddie Andersen’s agent.
The Carolina Hurricanes’ mascot isn’t shying away from the spotlight ahead of Game 5 on Friday night.
Outlandish outfits and props are part of the fun as the Caniacs enjoy a memorable playoff run.
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SEE ALSO: Hurricanes and Canadiens playoff run sparks friendly rivalry between couple, their Raleigh bar
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
