The Hurricanes are on the verge of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final, plus the latest on the Golden Knights, Avalanche, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes are a game away from reaching the 2026 Stanley Cup Final after blanking the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (NHL Images).
Frederik Andersen turned in an 18-save shutout while Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal, and Logan Stankoven gave the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead in the first period, with Andrei Svechnikov scoring an empty-netter late in the third period. Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes stopped 39 of 42 shots.
The Hurricanes hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, and can wrap things up on home ice on Friday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersen set a franchise record for the most playoff shutouts with five, but it was his teammates’ performance that gave him an easy night for the third straight game.
Carolina dominated the play with their high shot volume, their puck possession in the offensive zone, and their stifling defensive game. The frustration was getting to the Canadiens as they took six penalties to the Hurricanes’ two. Montreal fans weren’t pleased with their club’s lack of offense, chanting “shoot the puck” midway through the third period.
To be fair, the Hurricanes benefited from nearly two weeks off before this series after sweeping the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers. Meanwhile, the Canadiens played grueling back-to-back seven-game series against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres.
Nevertheless, the Canes have been the better team after dropping a 6-2 decision in Game 1. They reached this stage because of their experience, their roster depth, and the hard lessons they learned from being swept from the 2023 Eastern Conference Final and bounced in five games from last year’s Conference Final, both times by the Florida Panthers.
The Hurricanes have become a highly conditioned, well-disciplined veteran team whose strong two-way game has stymied the young Canadiens, leaving the latter searching for answers as they face elimination on Friday. However, the physical and mental toll of the past three games could prove too much for the Habs to overcome.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL: Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart’s performance has been sensational during this postseason. However, his involvement as one of the players charged and subsequently acquitted of sexual assault last year would make him a controversial candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The leading candidate is Hart’s teammate Mitch Marner. If the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup, it’ll likely be Marner taking home the Conn Smythe.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau wondered what the future holds for Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland and head coach Jared Bednar following the disappointing end to a season in which they won the Presidents’ Trophy as the top regular-season team. Earlier this week, the Avs were swept from the Western Conference Final by the Golden Knights.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacFarland is a finalist for the NHL GM of the Year Award, but it’s rumored that he could be heading to the Nashville Predators to take over as their head of hockey operations. Meanwhile, Bednar’s critics believe it may be time for a change after nearly 10 years behind the Avalanche bench.
THE SCORE: Penn State winger Gavin McKenna said he would be “very honored” if the Toronto Maple Leafs select him with the first-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old McKenna isn’t assured of going first overall, but many experts consider him to be the top prospect in this year’s draft.
SPORTSNET: Jason Bukala considers Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg to be the top prospect in this year’s draft. The 18-year-old is often praised for his defensive game, but his offensive upside shouldn’t be ignored, especially based on his performance for Sweden in the IIHF World Championship, which has entered the quarterfinal round.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenna is considered to have the best offensive skills among this year’s draft class, but Stenberg is believed to be the best all-around player. I’m guessing the Maple Leafs will select McKenna, but they also couldn’t go wrong with Stenberg.