The 2026 Eastern Conference Final features a matchup between two teams that couldn’t be more different. One focuses on volume, funneling everything they can towards the net, from any angle, in hopes of creating chaos in front of the opposition’s goaltender. The other focuses on quality; they’re opportunistic and will take advantage of you when mistakes are made. They play on opposite ends of the spectrum, which should create some interesting storylines for whoever comes out on top.
Playstyles aside, this series is filled with top-end storylines. You’ve got the ancient athletic question of “rest vs rust”, with the Canadiens coming off back-to-back seven-game series, while the Hurricanes have gone 11(!) days between playoff games, the second-longest break in NHL history. There’s also the recent history between these two clubs, going back to the infamous 2018 offer sheet to Sebastian Aho, which was “avenged” a few years later when the Hurricanes successfully pried Jesperi Kotkaniemi away from Montreal with an offer sheet of their own. And finally, there’s the playoff track record of both sides. The Hurricanes are becoming an annual discussion this time of year, as they’ve reached the conference final in three of the last seven seasons, but have just one total win to show for it. With the Toronto Maple Leafs missing the playoffs this season, the spotlight has shifted to the Hurricanes as the league’s biggest “chockers” come playoff time, with the pressure only rising every year. It’s not often you get a playoff series with this many intriguing plotlines, any of which could be the main story of this series. There’s so much to discuss between these two teams, but I want to focus on the [storyline] that is creating the most buzz just one game into this matchup. What makes these teams so different? And which playstyle truly has the advantage in this series?
To answer that first question, I think we need to start in the regular season. First of all, both these teams had terrific years. The Hurricanes finished with 113 points, earning them the top seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Canadiens took a sizable leap from last year, finishing with 106 points, good for third in the Atlantic Division. The Habs and Canes were two of the best teams in the conference this year, but that’s where their similarities end. I hinted at this in the introduction, but one of the biggest discrepancies between these teams is their willingness to shoot the puck. According to moneypuck.com, at five-on-five this season, the Hurricanes ranked first in the NHL in shot attempt% (corsi%) and second in total shots on goal. They truly love to fire pucks on net at any opportunity, as they also rank first in both high and low-danger shots for, while finishing fifth in medium-danger shots for. It’s a philosophy that the Hurricanes are known for under head coach Rod Brind’Amour, and they’ve been a consistent playoff team and Stanley Cup threat throughout his entire tenure behind the bench. It’s hard to question a philosophy when it’s yielded the results the Canes have seen over the last decade…unless your name is Martin St.Louis.
To put it simply, the Montreal Canadiens don’t abide by the same beliefs as Brind’Amour’s Hurricanes. In fact, they may possess the exact opposite thinking. I’ll use the same stats as I referenced with the Canes here with the Habs. According to moneypuck.com, at five-on-five this season, the Canadiens ranked 23rd in the league in shot attempts% (corsi%) and 26th in total shots on goal for. When looking at shot quality, the Habs were 29th in high-danger shots for, 21st in medium-danger shots for, and 27th in low-danger shots for. Two teams that are on completely opposite ends of the shot-attempt chart. The shot attempt comparisons are interesting, but the results of these shots tell an incredible story. Still citing moneypuck.com, at five-on-five this season, the Hurricanes only scored one more goal than the Canadiens (185 to 184), even moreso, the Habs actually outscored the Hurricanes on a per 60 minutes basis, 2.76 to 2.72. It’s incredible to think about that despite their glaring differences in offensive philosophy, the two scored goals at basically the same rate this season. There’s plenty of reason why this could be the case; is it coaching? Is it execution? Is it luck? It’s hard to pin down a single factor that’s led to these results. But the bottom line is, both these teams have found a system that works for them, and both believe it’s how they can win this series.
Most of what I’ve discussed so far pertained to the 2025-26 regular season, but these trends have carried over into the playoffs as well. We’ll look at some of the same numbers again; according to Evolving Hockey, at five-on-five, among all 16 playoff teams, the Hurricanes rank first in corsi% and second in shots for per 60 minutes, while the Habs rank 14th in both. It’s not a fluke; this is how these teams are designed to play, and it’s earned each of them a berth in the conference final. It’s what makes this series so fun to analyze, and it brings forth an intriguing question. Which style has the advantage?
We’re already one game into the series, so I suppose the Canadiens are technically the correct answer at the moment, but I think we can all agree a one-game sample can be slightly fraudulent, especially in a matchup that’s expected to see six or seven games. So I’m not officially crowning the Habs as “playstyle champs” just yet, but our one-game sample did magnify some trends that were present throughout the regular season. An interesting trend from the Hurricanes this season was their inability to avoid giveaways, especially in the defensive zone. According to moneypuck.com, they ranked first in the league in both total giveaways and defensive zone giveaways. Clearly, it’s not an issue that’s hurt them much so far, but I mentioned how this Canadiens team is opportunistic, and they thrive off taking advantage of your mistakes. Looking back at game one, only Montreal’s third goal (scored by Alex Texier) came off a true defensive zone giveaway, but the entire game was a display of how the Habs take advantage of poor defensive plays by their opposition. Cole Caufield left alone in the slot, two breakaways, and Juraj Slafkovsky completely undressing Andrei Svechnikov were the causes of Montreal’s other four goals against Frederik Andersen, all of which should seem preventable from the Hurricanes point of view as this series progresses. But that’s what these Canadiens do; they create chaos in the neutral zone, they attack well off the rush, and they put the puck in the net when given opportunities. It’s an exciting brand of hockey, and it seems to be working flawlessly.
The Hurricanes will be better. I don’t think many have doubts about that, but I do question whether they have enough to break through in this series. The Canadiens seem content with giving Carolina their outside shot attempts as long as they can limit high danger chances. If the Canes second line trio of Taylor Hall, Jackson Blake, and Logan Stankoven cool off, I could see it becoming difficult for them to generate offence in their typical fashion. So if you couldn’t tell by now, I do think the Canadiens have the slight tactical advantage in this series, and are my official pick to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.
Although I think the Habs will win, I don’t think game one is a true indicator of how this series will play out. Do I think Montreal can effectively keep Carolina’s offensive pressure to the outside? Yes. Do I think Montreal can create enough chaos from the Hurricanes defenders? Also, Yes. But I also believe Rod Brind’Amour is one of the brightest coaches in the league, and I’m confident he’ll have his group well prepared to deal with the Canadiens unique playstyle moving forward.
