Hurricanes Dominant Playoff Run Has Carolina Dreaming Big|"

There’s something special happening in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

The Carolina Hurricanes are in the midst of a playoff run that has seen them go 8-0 in the first two rounds, sweeping both the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers. It’s the first time since the 1985 Edmonton Oilers that a team has had two sweeps to start the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It’s also the first time a team has swept the first two rounds since the NHL adopted its current four-round, best-of-seven playoff format in 1987.

But it’s not just the fact that the Hurricanes have won eight straight. It’s how they’re winning. Carolina never trailed against Ottawa in the first round and overcame deficits in two games against Philadelphia to complete another sweep.

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Taylor Hall has seemingly turned back the clock and is playing his best hockey since winning the Hart Trophy with New Jersey in 2018. In eight games, Hall has 12 points, good for fifth among all playoff scorers. 

Then you have Logan Stankoven. Not only is he tied for the playoff lead in goals with seven in eight games, but he’s made both Carolina Hurricanes and NHL history in the process. He’s the first player in Carolina’s history to open the scoring in three straight playoff games and score in five straight games. League-wide, Stankoven is the youngest player in Stanley Cup Playoff history at 23 years and 65 days (at the time) to score a goal in a team’s first four playoff games. 

Of course, you can’t explain what Carolina has done without talking about goaltender Frederik Anderson. In eight starts, Anderson leads the playoffs with a 1.12 goals against average (GAA) and a .950 save percentage. He has two shutouts and has yet to give up more than two goals in a game. Anderson’s play has been so strong that he’s on pace to have the best GAA and could finish with the highest save percentage in playoff history. 

Some will point to Carolina’s playoff path as favorable , but the Hurricanes have done exactly what elite teams are supposed to do: dominate the opponents in front of them. 

Now, as they await the winner of Buffalo and Montreal, the focus will be on Carolina getting to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, the Hurricanes are 0-4 in the Eastern Conference Finals, including losing twice in the previous three seasons. 

Carolina has looked untouchable through two rounds. But for a franchise that has repeatedly fallen short on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup Final, the next series will define whether this run becomes history or just another what-could-have-been.