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The conference final stage has officially arrived in these Stanley Cup playoffs, with the final four teams remaining as the Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, and Vegas Golden Knights.
The Avalanche and Golden Knights kicked things off on Wednesday with Game 1 at Ball Arena in Denver. The Golden Knights picked up a vital road victory, but this series is far from over.
But the attention tonight turns to the Hurricanes and the Canadiens, who have reached this point in the playoffs in very different ways. The Hurricanes have dominated their opponents, going 8-0 through the first two rounds. The Habs, on the other hand, have scratched and clawed their way through two Game 7s.
Rest against resilience is the theme to watch in this series. Nonetheless, here is our prediction for the Eastern Conference final.
Carolina Hurricanes (M1) Vs. Montreal Canadiens (A3)
Season series: Canadiens 3-0
Why Carolina Will Win: The Hurricanes have made examples out of their previous two opponents, the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers. To this point, Carolina is a perfect 8-0, remaining without a single defeat in this post-season so far.
In comparison, the Canadiens have registered consecutive playoff wins only once, and that came against the Buffalo Sabres in Games 2 and 3. Aside from that, Montreal has alternated wins and losses in this campaign, posting an 8-6 record.
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Furthermore, the Hurricanes have an unimaginable amount of rest compared to the Habs. The Canadiens have gone through two seven-game series, which have likely taken a toll on their skaters, especially after high-paced battles against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Sabres.
Even though Montreal swept the regular-season series against Carolina 3-0, the Hurricanes have the edge in this series in more ways than one.
Why Montreal Will Win: The Canadiens are indeed the underdog against the Hurricanes in this Eastern Conference final matchup. But while Carolina could be well rested and prepared for this series, an 11-day break could also provide some slight rust.
That’s a major area that the Habs can counter, as they’ve been playing high-stakes contests without a break, seemingly. With their speed and youth, Montreal will need to throw the first punch to put Carolina on its heels, something the team has yet to experience in these playoffs.
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If the Canadiens can win Game 1 on the road, they could be in the driver’s seat for the rest of the series, waiting for the Canes to fire back at them. With the Hurricanes being such a strong defensive team, it could play out nicely for the Canadiens if they can get the lead first.
It’s also worth mentioning that Carolina has struggled in the Eastern Conference final, recording just one win in their last three visits to this stage of the post-season. So, there’s another circumstance that Montreal can feed off of.
The Verdict:
Both teams have taken very different paths to where they are now, which could lead to an unpredictable outcome.
However, with the dominance that Carolina has shown so far in the playoffs and their ability to have every player on the roster contribute and be a factor, it’s hard to say the Hurricanes won’t be a Stanley Cup finalist.
Prediction: Hurricanes win in six games
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