The Eastern Conference finals will begin on Thursday, as the Hurricanes prepare to host the Canadiens, who defeated the Sabres in a thrilling Game 7, which ended in overtime.
Carolina will have had nearly two weeks of rest by the time the series gets underway, having swept both of their opponents in the first two rounds. The Hurricanes dismantled the Senators in the first round and weren’t tested too much by the Flyers in round two. The Canes became the first team in NHL history to sweep their opening two seven-game series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and now they’ll have had plenty of time to recuperate ahead of their next challenge.
As for the Canadiens, they’ve returned to the Western Conference final for the first time since their Stanley Cup run in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season when they were defeated by the Lightning in five games.
We’re going to make some bold predictions for the Eastern Conference finals, including what team will reach the Stanley Cup Final and how many games they’ll need to do so.
Hurricanes will drop Game 1 at home
Is it possible the Canes will be a bit rusty after having a near two-week vacation prior to their series against Montreal? Some would say that the additional weeks of rest present more of a disadvantage for Carolina, as the Canadiens will be locked into the playoff mentality after their grueling seven-game set against the Sabres.
I think the Hurricanes may be a bit slow out the gate in Game 1, having to reacclimate themselves to the intensity of playoff hockey. Twelve days off is a long break, and they’ll be up against an opponent that last played three days prior to the start of the series. The Canadiens will carry the high from winning Game 7 into the Eastern Conference finals, and I’m expecting they’ll be ready to roll right at the game’s opening puck drop.
The Canadiens will win the series opener and hand Carolina its first loss of this postseason by more than two goals.
Cole Caufield will score four goals in the first two games
One of the game’s best goal scorers, and perhaps its most ethical with zero empty-net goals, Cole Caufield took a bit of time to get going during the postseason, but he’s now up to four goals and nine points in the playoffs. I think he’ll find his rhythm against the usually-dominant Carolina defense––a team he’s scored against in each of his last three games.
Caufield will need to get hot if the Canadiens want to take down Rod Brind’Amour’s Canes, and I think he’ll do exactly that to give Montreal a strong start in the series. He had a career-high 51 goals in the regular season, including 11 on the power play and 12-game winners. I think he will find that form again in the Eastern Conference finals and answer the call from Habs fans by delivering a strong showing in Games 1 and 2.
By the time the series shifts back to Montreal for Game 3, Caufield will already have four goals to his name, and he’ll look to tack on more in front of the adoring home crowd at the Bell Centre.
Hurricanes will win the series in seven games
I think it may take a bit of time for Carolina’s offense to get going in this series, but in the end, I think the Canes will fight their way into the Stanley Cup Final in seven games. Carolina’s defense is simply too dominant, surrendering just 1.25 goals per contest in their first eight playoff games. Frederik Andersen has been elite in the net, too, as the Hurricanes’ net-minder has allowed just 10 goals on 201 shots.
Carolina’s penalty kill has a 95% success rate in the postseason, too. The Canes are difficult to score on and don’t give their opponents too many chances in front of the net. Their physical style of play and willingness to dump pucks in deep can also stifle their opponents’ opportunities on offense, as it reduces the likelihood of a turnover in the neutral zone and causes their opponents to build up their attack from deep in their own zone. Against a defensively sound team like Carolina, it will prove difficult for Montreal to generate chances on offense, especially throughout the grind of a seven-game series.
I think the Canes will pull off a series win in seven games and book their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since they won the Cup in 2005-‘06.
