How Hurricanes can extend abysmal 14-game Eastern Conference Final losing streak that dates back to 2009

The Hurricanes find themselves on the wrong side of history. Carolina has made yet another Eastern Conference Finals, but continues not to be able to get over the hump and back to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Unfortunately, that isn't where the franchise's struggles in the playoff round end. The Hurricanes are currently on a 14-game losing streak in the Eastern Conference Finals. Carolina has been swept each of their last three appearances in the round, and are down 2-0 in their 2025 series against the Panthers. 

Unfortunately, the Hurricanes' 14 straight losses in the conference finals are a record. The 14 losses are the most consecutive losses in a conference finals in NHL history. 

📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

Here is more on the Hurricanes' 14-game losing streak in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Hurricanes losing streak

2008-2009

The Hurricanes finished the season 45-30-7 and in second place in the Southeast division. Carolina faced New Jersey in the first round of the playoffs. The Canes beat the Devils 4-3 to advance. Carolina had another seven-game series in the second round, this time beating Boston 4-3 to get to the Eastern Conference Finals. 

The Hurricanes matched up with the Penguins in the ECF. Pittsburgh matched up well with Carolina, finishing 45-28-9 in the regular season. The Penguins ended up dominating the series. They won the first two games in Pittsburgh, and ramped it up a notch when the series returned to Carolina for games three and four. Overall, the Penguins outscored the Hurricanes 20-9 in the series. Pittsburgh's series-clinching win in Game 4 started with Eric Staal scoring his 10th goal of the postseason. The Penguins responded by scoring four straight goals, including an empty-netter with 1:10 left in the game to seal the end of Carolina's season. 

It's worth noting that head coach Rod Brind'Amour played in this series for the Hurricanes. 

2018-2019

Carolina returned to the Eastern Conference Finals a decade after its last trip. While Brind'Amour had long retired, he was back with the organization as its head coach and in his first season. The Hurricanes won a seven-game slugfest against the Capitals with a 4-3 double overtime victory in a pivotal Game 7. The Canes then swept the Islanders in four straight to finally get back to the ECF.

Carolina then matched up with Boston. The Bruins were the second-best team in the Eastern Conference that season and they showed why in the ECF. Boston torched Carolina 5-2 and 6-2 at home in the first two games. The series then moved south, and the Hurricanes went with a change at goalie. It didn't matter as the Bruins won Games 3 and 4. Boston clinched the series with a 4-0 win, scoring two power-play goals and an empty-netter to advance. 

MORE: When was the last time the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup?

2022-2023

The Hurricanes were rolling. They finished as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference in the regular season and used that momentum to beat the Islanders in six games in the first round. Carolina then beat New Jersey in five games to get to the ECF. 

The Canes were riding a two-game win streak, including an overtime win over the Devils. All of that momentum ended with the Panthers won Game 1 of the ECF 3-2 in four overtimes. Game 2 also went to overtime and the Hurricanes lost 2-1. Both games were long and were on Carolina's home ice. They went down to Florida and lost 1-0 in Game 3 and 4-3 in Game 4. It looked like Game 4 was heading to overtime also, until Matthew Tkachuk netted a power-play goal with five seconds left to end the series. 

2024-2025

Carolina finished the regular season 47-30-5, and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes knocked off the Devils in five games in the first round, and then picked up a huge series win against the Capitals in five games in the second round. 

Carolina matched up with the defending champs in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Canes started at home, but the Panthers dominated, outscoring them 10-2 in the series' first two games. Carolina has now lost 14 straight ECF games, and the series heads to Florida. 

When was the last time the Hurricanes won an Eastern Conference Finals Game?

The Hurricanes last won an Eastern Conference Finals game in 2006. Carolina had beaten Montreal 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs and then New Jersey 4-1 in the second round. 

The Hurricanes then matched up with the Sabres in the ECF. Buffalo took Game 1 3-2, but Carolina bounced back with a 4-3 win in Game 2. The Sabres won Game 3 4-3, but again the Hurricanes answered with a 4-0 win in Game 4 and added a 4-3 OT win in Game 5. Buffalo stayed alive with the 2-1 OT win in Game 6. It all came down to Game 7 in Raleigh, and Carolina used its home ice to win 4-2 and advance to its second Stanley Cup final in franchise history. 

The last time the Hurricanes won an Eastern Conference Finals game was June 1, 2006. Current head coach Rod Brind'Amour scored a power-play goal to propel the Canes to the Stanley Cup. 

When was the last time the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup?

The Hurricanes have only had one Stanley Cup win in their history. Carolina beat Edmonton 4-3 in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals. That was the last year the Hurricanes won an Eastern Conference Finals game, as they edged out the Sabres 4-3 to make the Stanley Cup.

It remains the only Stanley Cup in franchise history, even when the team was in Hartford as the Whalers.