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Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) looks on during the first period in Game 7 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres Monday, May 18, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
By The Canadian Press

Canadiens visit rested Hurricanes for Game 1 of Eastern Conference final

May 21, 2026 | 2:00 AM

RALEIGH — The Montreal Canadiens are on the road once again, this time for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final.

Montreal will take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, looking to make their first Stanley Cup final appearance since 2021.

The Canadiens are coming off back-to-back seven-game series wins against Tampa Bay and Buffalo, finishing off the latter on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are in their second straight conference final but have not made it to the Cup final since winning it all in 2006.

Carolina, which hasn’t played since May 9, swept Ottawa and Philadelphia to become the first team to open the playoffs 8-0 since the NHL adopted the four-round, best-of-seven playoff format in 1987.

Montreal swept its regular-season series against Carolina 3-0.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press