The Carolina Hurricanes clinched their spot within the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals on Friday evening, ending off the Montreal Canadiens in 5 video games.
The Hurricanes additionally clinched essentially the most dominant begin to a playoff run because the NHL expanded to 4 best-of-seven collection’.
Advertisement
Carolina enters the ultimate with a document of 12-1, with the one loss coming after a close to two-week layoff between video games.
The Boston Bruins bowed out within the first spherical, however previous to that, took on the Hurricanes thrice this previous season.
Boston picked up 3 out of a doable 6 factors, posting a 1-1-1 document.
The first two matchups got here all the way in which again in November 2025.
The first of which got here in TD Garden, on November 1.
Jeremy Swayman excelled within the first matchup of the season, making 28 saves and never permitting a aim till the ultimate three minutes of the sport.
After two scoreless durations, Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson scored inside 4 minutes of one another, giving the Bruins a 2-0 lead, one they would not give up.
Advertisement
The recreation completed a 2-1 win for Boston.
16 days later, the Bruins hosted the Hurricanes as soon as once more, however this time Carolina obtained to their recreation.
Following a quiet first interval, the Hurricanes took a 2-0 lead within the second interval, then promptly shut down the Bruins for the rest of the sport.
Ex-Bruin Taylor Hall made it 3-0 with 2:33 to go.
Riley Tufte snapped Pyotr Kochetkov‘s shutout bid with 10 seconds left within the recreation.
The closing assembly got here on April 7 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
This recreation got here utterly off the chain, with each nets full of objectives in a wild contest.
The Bruins jumped out to a 1-0 lead courtesy of Hampus Lindholm simply 4:40 into the sport.
Advertisement
Carolina retook a 2-1 lead halfway by the primary interval, however Morgan Geekie struck twice earlier than the body ended, giving Boston a 3-2 lead at intermission.
The Hurricanes surged for 3 objectives in somewhat over three minutes, flipping a 3-2 deficit right into a 5-3 lead for Carolina.
Once once more, the Bruins fought again. Geekie scored his hat-trick aim to make it 5-4 with 1:10 to go within the second interval, a large aim for Boston’s confidence.
With 7:27 to go, Pavel Zacha tied issues up for Boston.
Jaccob Slavin in the end received it for Carolina in extra time, who clinched the Metropolitan Division crowd with the victory.