Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens have advanced to the Eastern Conference Final, beating the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in their second-round series.
The Sabres earned a win in Game 1 and Game 4, but the Canadiens were the better team, as evidenced by their dominant outings in Game 2 and Game 3. That being said, Buffalo deserves credit for their impressive comeback in Game 6.
All things considered, advancing to the Conference Final is quite the achievement for the youngest team in the league, but the hard work is far from over.
Next Playoff Opponent
The Canadiens will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, a powerhouse team that is yet to taste anything but success in the 2026 NHL Playoffs.
The Hurricanes easily dispatched the Ottawa Senators 4-0 in their first-round series, outscoring them 11-5 in the process. They kept their momentum heading into the second round, where they once again put together perfect performance, beating the Philadelphia Flyers in four straight games, and outscoring them 13-5.
Simply put, they’ve been the best team in the playoffs, and by a wide margin.
They’re also set to be very well rested versus the Canadiens, though that may not be an advantage given the situation. While the Habs are lacking rest, they’ve maintained their edge by playing every two days, and by facing evenly-matched opponents.
Whereas the Hurricanes have not played since May 9, meaning they’ll be ice-cold heading into the Eastern Conference Final.
Seeing as Game 1 of the series is scheduled for May 21, the Hurricanes will not have played an NHL game in a dozen days, which would lead to a significant amount of rust for these highly-tuned athletes.
Of course, the lack of game-time action in recent days will be mitigated by the fact that the Hurricanes are one of the most talented teams in the league.
Montreal Canadiens Vs. Carolina Hurricanes Conference Final Schedule
- Game 1 – Thursday, May 21. Time TBD – @Carolina Hurricanes
- Game 2 – Saturday, May 23. Time TBD – @Carolina Hurricanes
- Game 3 – Monday, May 25. Time TBD – @Montreal Canadiens
- Game 4 – Wednesday, May 27. Time TBD – @Montreal Canadiens
- *Game 5 –Friday, May 29. Time TBD – @Carolina Hurricanes
- *Game 6 – Sunday, May 31. Time TBD – @Montreal Canadiens
- *Game 7 – Tuesday, June 2. Time TBD – @Carolina Hurricanes
*If necessary.
