The Carolina Hurricanes have the opportunity to become the second team in NHL history to begin the Stanley Cup Playoffs with nine consecutive wins. They host the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at Lenovo Center on Thursday.
The 1985 Edmonton Oilers are the only team to have achieved this feat, and they went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Three other teams began the postseason with eight straight victories: the 1969 St. Louis Blues, 1960 Canadiens and 1952 Detroit Red Wings.
Hurricanes Eye Return to Stanley Cup Final
Carolina are aiming to advance past the Eastern Final for the first time since they captured the Stanley Cup in 2006. They have reached the conference final in successive seasons for the first time in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history.
The Hurricanes have been eliminated in the Eastern Final three times since 2018-19, including last season by the eventual Cup winner, the Florida Panthers.
Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said that the past is not a worry for the team. He said that they have been using lessons from past playoffs all year.
Canadiens Focus on Defence and Resilience
The Canadiens eliminated the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of their second-round series on Monday. They also eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games in the first round.
Montreal coach Martin St. Louis emphasised the importance of strong defence at this stage of the season. He said that the team has learned that they will lose momentum, but they can’t break.
St. Louis added that the team has learned the importance of continuing to play, regardless of the score. He said that maintaining poise and confidence to regain momentum is key.
Series a Clash of Strengths
This conference final marks the first series in NHL history to feature a team coming off back-to-back sweeps in a best-of-7 series (Carolina) against a team that won each of their previous two series in a Game 7 (Montreal).
The Hurricanes are well-rested, while the Canadiens are battle-tested.
The Hurricanes take on the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final.