Hurricanes reach Stanley Cup Final for first time in two decades
Carolina advances to face Vegas Golden Knights after defeating Montreal Canadiens 6-1 in Game 5, marking a significant turnaround under head coach Rod Brind’Amour.
The Carolina Hurricanes have secured their place in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night. The victory at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, concludes the series and sets up a championship matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Carolina established control early, with Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Eric Robinson scoring in the first period to build a commanding lead. Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere added goals in the second period, extending the advantage to 5-0 before Seth Jarvis completed the scoring with an empty-net goal late in the third period. Frederik Andersen maintained a shutout until midway through the final period, when Cole Caufield scored Montreal’s only goal on the power play.
The win marks a historic milestone for the franchise, which relocated from Hartford to North Carolina prior to the 1997-98 season. According to SportRadar, Carolina is the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with only one loss since 1983, and the only team to achieve this feat since the league adopted best-of-seven series for all four postseason rounds in 1987.
This series victory represents a significant turnaround for head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who previously held a 1-12 record in Eastern Conference finals series. Prior to this year, Carolina had suffered sweeps by Boston in 2019 and Florida in 2023, as well as a five-game loss to the Panthers in last year’s rematch. Brind’Amour, who was the team captain during Carolina’s previous Final appearance in 2006, has now led the Hurricanes to eight consecutive postseason appearances.
The Canadiens entered the series having advanced ahead of schedule, winning Game 7 road matches against Tampa Bay and Buffalo in the first two rounds. However, Carolina’s defensive pressure and offensive depth proved insurmountable, with fans chanting for the Cup by the final minutes of the game. The Hurricanes are currently listed as -155 favourites to win the Final, according to DraftKings.
The NHL has scheduled Game 6 for May 31, 2026, at the Lenovo Center, with Game 7 potentially taking place on June 2, 2026, should the series extend further. The Associated AP contributed to this report.
