Hurricanes Rout Canadiens 6-1, Advance to First Stanley Cup Final Since 2006

Written By Gina Anton

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes are headed back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in two decades.

Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven each recorded a goal and two assists as the Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Friday night at Lenovo Center, clinching the series in five games.

With the victory, Carolina advances to face the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final beginning Tuesday night. The Hurricanes have now won four consecutive games since dropping Game 1 and enter the championship series with a remarkable 12-1 record in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who captained Carolina to its only Stanley Cup championship in 2006, the achievement was both emotional and validating.

“It’s kind of hard to unpack right now,” Brind’Amour said. “It’s a weird feeling because it’s kind of where we all thought we should be, our group. From the time we came together as a group, this is where we thought we would be.

“It’s been a long journey for sure. I’m just really proud of the group. I keep saying it. It’s nice that it paid off. Obviously we’ve got one big hurdle here to go, but I’m trying to enjoy this part.”

The Hurricanes wasted little time asserting control.

Hall opened the scoring at 9:17 of the first period, jamming home a rebound after Jakub Dobes denied Stankoven on a drive to the net. Montreal challenged the play for goaltender interference, but the goal stood after review.

Just under six minutes later, Hall helped create Carolina’s second goal, protecting the puck behind the net before feeding Stankoven in the right circle. The forward snapped a shot over Dobes’ left shoulder for his playoff-leading ninth goal.

Stankoven, whose breakout postseason has helped fuel Carolina’s run, said the ultimate prize remains firmly in sight.

“You want nothing more than to hoist that Cup someday and share it with your teammates and your family,” Stankoven said. “We still have a lot of work to get done, but that’s what motivates you to play the game and it’s why you love the game.”

Eric Robinson extended the lead to 3-0 less than two minutes later, converting a breakaway after taking a flip pass from William Carrier through the neutral zone.

Hall praised the impact of Carolina’s depth throughout the series.

“I think that was his third goal of the series,” Hall said. “It really tips the scales when you can have a fourth line not only playing in their end and generating momentum, but finding the back of the net. It’s a game changer.”

The Hurricanes continued to dominate in the second period.

Jackson Blake made it 4-0 at 7:19 when he buried a rebound after Hall drove the net following a takeaway in the defensive zone. Hall’s performance continued a postseason resurgence that has seen the veteran forward emerge as one of Carolina’s most important offensive contributors. He now has 16 points in 13 playoff games and leads all NHL players with 14 even-strength points this postseason.

Shayne Gostisbehere pushed the lead to 5-0 late in the second period with a power-play goal, finishing a cross-slot feed from Seth Jarvis at 18:02.

The Canadiens finally broke through midway through the third period when Cole Caufield scored on the power play, but Jarvis answered later with an empty-net goal to complete the 6-1 rout.

Frederik Andersen stopped 23 of 24 shots and continued his historic postseason run. The veteran became just the third goaltender in NHL history to win 12 of his first 13 games in a playoff year, joining Ken Dryden (1976 Canadiens) and Gerry Cheevers (1970 Bruins).

For Montreal, the loss marked the end of a surprising playoff journey. Despite the lopsided defeat, Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis emphasized the value of the experience for his young roster.

“I feel like it’s something we’ve built, and we keep growing,” St. Louis said. “We’re going to learn a lot through this process and failing at advancing. You learn way more through failures. But there’s a lot of wins in what we did this year. It’s going to help us keep progressing.”

The Hurricanes outshot Montreal 167-89 across the five games and scored the opening goal in every contest.

Now, after years of knocking on the door, Carolina is four wins away from hockey’s ultimate trophy.