Hurricanes Beat Canadiens to Reach NHL Stanley Cup Final, Recap, Stats & Highlights From Game 5

The Carolina Hurricanes are heading to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years.

The Hurricanes claimed an 6-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Friday night's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final to earn the chance to play the Vegas Golden Knights for a title.

The Canes are the first team in NHL history to advance to the Final after losing just one game in three rounds, per TSN's Frank Seravalli.

The last time the Hurricanes made it to the Final, Rod Brind'Amour led his team to a Stanley Cup in a seven-game series against the Edmonton Oilers.

Brind'Amour will now look to coach the Hurricanes to a second championship 20 years later against the Golden Knights.

Here's a look at the upcoming Cup Final schedule as well as how the Hurricanes shut out the Canadiens to clinch the Eastern Conference.

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2026 Stanley Cup Final Schedule

*if necessary

• Game 1, Vegas at Carolina: Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS)
• Game 2, Vegas at Carolina: Thursday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS)
• Game 3, Carolina at Vegas: Saturday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS)
• Game 4, Carolina at Vegas: Tuesday, June 9 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS)
• *Game 5, Vegas at Carolina: Thursday, June 11 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS)
• *Game 6, Carolina at Vegas: Sunday, June 14 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS)
• *Game 7, Vegas at Carolina: Wednesday, June 17 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS)

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Game 5 Recap

The Canadiens were immediately left on their heels after the Hurricanes got a scoring chance just six seconds after puck drop.

Canes goaltender Frederik Andersen fought off a push from the Canadiens before Taylor Hall got the home team on the board just 10 minutes into the first period.

The Canadiens unsuccessfully challenged the tally for goaltender interference.

Game 5 started to fall apart for the Habs late in the first, when Logan Stankoven scored before Eric Robinson snuck a breakaway chance past Canadiens goaltender Jacob Dobeš for two Hurricanes goals in less than two minutes.

For a second straight game, the Canadiens faced a three-goal deficit heading into the first period break.

Montreal's "Olé" chant broke out at the Lenovo Center after Jackson Blake scored early in the second period to stretch the home team's lead to four goals.

A power-play goal from Shayne Gostisbehere stretched the Hurricanes' lead to five goals by the end of the second period.

Cole Caufield spoiled Andersen's shutout bid on a Canadiens power play midway through the third period.

Seth Jarvis closed out the victory with an empty-netter as Andersen ended the game having turned aside 23 shots from the Canadiens.

The Hurricanes' second line, a highlight throughout the playoffs, once more shone Friday as Hall, Stankoven and Blake all scored.

Dobeš made 23 saves in Friday's loss as Caufield recorded the Canadiens' lone goal.

The Hurricanes outshot the Canadiens 73-42, and outscored them by 10-1, in the last two games of the series to complete their run through the Eastern Conference.

The Golden Knights have been resting since completing their Western Conference Final sweep of the President's Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche this Tuesday.

The Canes, who suffered their lone loss of the playoffs in Game 1 against the Canadiens after a similar break following the second round, will hope to ride the momentum of the Game 5 victory into the opening game of the Final next Tuesday in Raleigh.