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Two paths, two Eastern Conference finalists.
The Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes will face off in the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after taking completely different routes to get there.
The young, ascending Canadiens battled through a pair of gruelling seven-game matchups to reach the conference final. The experienced and regimented Hurricanes, meanwhile, swept through the opening two rounds behind their smothering play.
It’s a maximum number of games versus the minimum. Here are five things to know before the puck drops for Game 1 on Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C.
Rest vs. rust
Let the debate begin. The Hurricanes haven’t played since sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers out of the second round on May 9, giving them 11 days of rest. That’s the longest break from the end of one series to the start of the next in more than a century — the Canadiens spent 12 days off during the 1919 playoffs.
Habs fans celebrated in the Bell Centre after Alex Newhook scored in overtime against the Buffalo Sabres, lifting the Canadiens to a 3-2 Game 7 victory and sending Montreal to the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 2021.
Is that an advantage or a disadvantage? Carolina, which posted the best record in the East this season, also had a six-day break after sweeping the Ottawa Senators in the first round and didn’t miss a beat with four straight wins over the Flyers.
The Hurricanes are the first team to open the playoffs 8-0 since the NHL implemented four rounds of best-of-seven in 1987. The Canadiens, meanwhile, downed the division-rival Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres to become the first team to win Game 7s in each of the first two rounds since the 2014 Los Angeles Kings, who went on to hoist the Stanley Cup.
Star production
Through two rounds, neither side is getting the top-line production they’re used to. Carolina’s Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov have combined for just five goals and 11 points in eight games.
Montreal’s Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky have 31 points in 14 games but only three goals have come at even strength, with the line spending long stretches defending in its own zone. Caufield — a 51-goal scorer this season — and Slafkovsky have one five-on-five point each.
The good news for the Canadiens: the normally dangerous trio produced eight goals in three games against the Hurricanes during the regular season, when the Canadiens swept the series with a 15-8 aggregate score.
Unlikely heroes
Secondary scorers have picked up the slack for both teams. Carolina’s second line of Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake erupted for 14 goals in eight games, with seven from Stankoven alone.
Alex Newhook is the hot hand for the Canadiens. The 25-year-old from St. John’s, N.L., has scored seven times — all at even strength — in his past eight games, including the winning goals in each of Montreal’s Game 7 victories.
Kirby Dach (four goals), Josh Anderson (three) and Alexandre Texier (three) have also helped offset the top line’s lack of even-strength production.
Goalie duel
Jakub Dobeš, much like Jaroslav Halak in 2010, has captured the hearts of Habs fans with his stellar play this spring. The 24-year-old rookie from Czechia has a solid .910 save percentage and 2.52 goals-against average, coming up clutch with 28- and 37-save performances to bail out the Canadiens in both Game 7s. He became the second rookie goalie in NHL history to post multiple Game 7 wins on the road in a single post-season, joining Canadiens great Ken Dryden (1971).
For the Hurricanes, Frederik Andersen has settled concerns in the crease for now. The 36-year-old Dane leads the playoffs with a .950 save percentage and 1.12 GAA, benefiting from Carolina’s possession-heavy play and ability to limit high-danger chances. The question is whether the veteran netminder can keep it up after recording a .874 save percentage and 3.05 GAA in the regular season.
Special teams battle
Montreal’s power play, running at 25 per cent, meets a Carolina penalty kill that allowed just two goals on 40 chances (95 per cent) in the first two rounds. On the other side, Carolina’s power play has struggled at 13.5 per cent, while Montreal’s penalty kill sits at 74.1 per cent. Both units rank last among the four remaining teams.
The Hurricanes and Canadiens are meeting in the playoffs for the third time since Carolina relocated from Hartford, with the ‘Canes winning matchups in 2002 and 2006. Carolina is trying to advance to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 2006 after reaching the conference final for the fourth time in eight seasons.
