The Montreal Canadiens advance to the Eastern Conference Finals after defeating the Buffalo Sabers 4–3 in their second-round series.
The Sabers won Game 1 and Game 4, but the Canadiens were the better team, as shown by their dominant performances in Game 2 and Game 3. That being said, Buffalo deserves credit for its impressive comeback in Game 6.
All things considered, advancing to the Conference Finals is quite an accomplishment for the league's youngest team, but the hard work is far from over.
Next playoff opponent
The Canadiens will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals, a powerhouse team that has yet to taste anything but success in the 2026 NHL Playoffs.
The Hurricanes easily defeated the Ottawa Senators 4–0 in the first round series, outscoring them 11–5 in the process. They continued their momentum into the second round, where they once again had a dominant performance, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in four consecutive games and defeating them 13–5.
Simply put, they have been the best team in the playoffs, and by a wide margin.
They are sure to be very well rested compared to the Canadians, although that may not be an advantage given the situation. While the Habs have lacked rest, they have maintained their lead by playing every two days and facing equally competitive opponents.
While the Hurricanes have not played a game since May 9, meaning they will be facing a very cold winter ahead of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Given that Game 1 of the series is scheduled for May 21, the Hurricanes will not have played an NHL game in a dozen days, leaving a significant amount of rust for these highly-tuned athletes.
Of course, his 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 finals
- game 1 - Thursday, May 21. Time TBD - @CarolinaHurricanes
- game 2 - Saturday, May 23. Time TBD - @CarolinaHurricanes
- game 3 - Monday, May 25. Time TBD - @MontrealCanadiens
- game 4 - Wednesday, May 27. Time TBD - @MontrealCanadiens
- *game 5 -Friday, May 29. Time TBD - @CarolinaHurricanes
- *game 6 - Sunday, May 31. Time TBD - @MontrealCanadiens
- *game 7 - Tuesday, June 2. Time TBD - @CarolinaHurricanes
*if necessary.
