Poll: Who Wins Eastern Conference Final, Hurricanes or Canadiens?

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After the Vegas Golden Knights upset the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday night to take a 1-0 lead in the NHL's Western Conference Final, Thursday night brings us Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. The Montreal Canadiens begin the best-of-seven series at the Carolina Hurricanes (8 p.m. ET, TNT/Tru/HBO Max).

The No. 3 seed Canadiens got here when Alex Newhook scored an overtime goal Tuesday night in Game 7 of Montreal's second-round series with the Buffalo Sabres. It was the second straight series in which Newhook scored a Game 7 clincher. The No. 1 seed Hurricanes have yet to lose a game in the Stanley Cup playoffs, sweeping the Ottawa Senators in the first round and the Philadelphia Flyers in the second.

The Canadiens are trying to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2021, when they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Amazingly, no team from Canada has won the Cup since Montreal did it in 1993. The Hurricanes are looking to reach their first Final since 2006, when they defeated the Edmonton Oilers. So…

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 5:04 AM.