Hurricanes hit historic downtime awaiting Sabres-Canadiens finish

The Carolina Hurricanes have gotten off to a sensational start in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They have swept their first two series against the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers. They will be competing in the Eastern Conference Finals against the winner of the series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres.

The Carolina Hurricanes will have 12 days off between games, the longest layoff in NHL playoff history

By the time the Eastern Conference Final begins, Carolina will have played just eight games in 36 days. pic.twitter.com/GaAWqsRszz

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 17, 2026

While the Hurricanes have survived and advanced in the minimum number of games, the Habs and the Sabres will decide their series in seven games. Montreal had a 3-2 series lead after five games, but they were pounded 8-3 by the Sabres at the Bell Center Saturday night. The two teams will meet at the Key Bank Center in Buffalo Monday night to decide the winner.

The survivor of that series will begin the Eastern Conference Finals Thursday night. The Hurricanes will have home-ice advantage in the series.

Head coach Rod Brind’Amour will clearly have a rested team. He may also have a rusty team on his hands, as the Hurricanes have not played since May 9, when they completed the sweep of the Flyers. By the time the puck is dropped in Thursday’s opening games, the Hurricanes will be playing their first game in 12 days. That is the longest layoff in NHL postseason history.

The Hurricanes have outscored opponents by a 24-10 margin through the eight games they have played. Veteran Taylor Hall has been Carolina’s leading scorer through the team’s two series. He has scored three goals and nine assists, and his 12 points gives him a one-point edge over Jackson Blake (11 points) and four-point edge over Logan Stankoven (eight points).

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