RALEIGH — The Canadiens’ dream of adding a 25th Stanley Cup banner this spring has come to a screeching halt.
The Carolina Hurricanes dismantled Montreal 6-1 to take the Eastern Conference final 4-1 on Friday night.
The Canadiens took the best-of-seven series opener 6-2 in Raleigh, N.C., before the top-seeded Hurricanes snapped back to life coming off an 11-day break following back-to-back sweeps of Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers.
Montreal then suffered consecutive 3-2 overtime losses to set the stage for a disastrous 4-0 no-show in Game 4 at home that pushed the Original Six club to the brink.
The Canadiens advanced to the third round of the NHL playoffs with a pair of seven-game victories over the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres.
Canada’s title drought now stands at 32 seasons after Montreal last hoisted hockey’s holy grail in 1993.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2026.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press