My Top 25 Postseason Games in Carolina Hurricanes History

Since their relocation to North Carolina, the Hurricanes have made some lasting memories in the postseason. They went a long stretch without seeing playoff hockey, but we're in the midst of the longest postseason streak in Whalers or Hurricanes history with a four-year stretch of playoff hockey in Raleigh. I wanted to take a look at my personal list of the best playoff games in team history. There were a lot of factors that I took into account when putting this list together. Most of it comes down to timing, whether that is the game in the series or which series it is. The higher the stakes, the better the situation, and the more highly I consider the game. I haven't taken many personal feelings into account when putting this list together. I have been to a few of the games on this list, but that doesn't matter to me. There are going to be a lot of one-goal games and a lot of overtime games. I also wanted to add some milestone games as well. They might not be the most exciting games in the grand scheme of things, but they tell an important story in the franchise's history. That's why I've also decided to include two games that the team lost. I also think that it goes without saying that certain seasons will be more represented than others. The further you go in the playoffs, the more chances you have to make lasting memories. There's no huge method that I used to determine which game falls where. This list is extremely subjective and is based on my own opinion. 

25. Raleigh's Team Gets Their First One- 4/18/01- ECQF, Game 4- Devils at Hurricanes

While this wasn't their first postseason in North Carolina, it was their first postseason in Raleigh after playing in Greensboro during the 1998-99 playoffs. The Canes were fighting an uphill battle against the New Jersey Devils. The Devils were the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the Canes barely made it into the postseason. To make matters worse, the Devils held a commanding 3-0 lead in the series after three dominant wins and shutouts by Martin Brodeur in Games 2 and 3. The shutout streak lasted 130:23, spanning just over two games, until Sami Kapanen decided to change things up. Two minutes into the game, Kapanen beat Brodeur on the power play to get the Canes on the board. Jason Arnett tied it up on the power play later in the period, then David Tanabe scored another goal on the power play to give the Canes a 2-1 lead through two periods. Petr Sykora scored the only goal of the third period, a short-handed tally to tie the game and force overtime as the Devils looked to finish off the series. The Canes would live to fight another day with Rod Brind'Amour redirecting a pass from Kapanen past Brodeur to notch their first win in the series and the first postseason victory in Raleigh. While the Canes would extend the series to a sixth game, they would ultimately lose the series in six games. It was a relatively low-stakes game in the grand scheme of it all, but it's always nice to start somewhere and the first win in overtime is always memorable. 

24. Giving the Devils Their Due- 5/6/06- ECSF, Game 1- Devils at Hurricanes

The Canes and Devils have a lot of history in the postseason that features some gutsy battles and tight games. This is not one of those games. This game happens to be the complete opposite. The Hurricanes were coming off a tough six-game series with Montreal, while the Devils were fresh off a four-game sweep of the Rangers in the ECQF. Even more than that, the Devils had won 15-straight games dating back to the regular season, meaning they hadn't lost a game in over a month. The more battle-tested team asserted its dominance early and often. While they only scored once in the first period, the Canes scored three times in the second period and another two times in the third period to take a 6-0 lead and force Martin Brodeur out of the game. It was an absolute mugging by the Canes and set a much different tone than had been set in the first round with the two home losses to Montreal. The Devils were as hot as a team could be, yet they looked like they were in a completely different weight class than the Canes. It was almost sad in a way. Five of the Canes' six goals were scored on the power play, tied for the second-most in postseason history. It also is the largest postseason shutout in franchise history. I remember going to this game expecting a war and left wondering if the Devils would win a game in this series, which they would, but only one. 

23. The New Era Begins- 4/24/99- ECQF, Game 2- Bruins at Hurricanes

After missing the postseason in their season in Raleigh, the Canes rose to the top of a very bad Southeast Division to make the playoffs after winning their first division title in North Carolina. This first trip would take place in Greensboro against the Boston Bruins. Though the Bruins finished with more points than the Canes during the regular season, the Canes held a home-ice advantage since they won their division. The Bruins were the better team in Game 1, blanking the Canes 2-0 in front of the Greensboro faithful to take the series lead. Game 2 was far more even, with the teams trading goals in the first two periods to enter the third period tied 2-2. Boston's Sergei Samsonov and Carolina's Ray Sheppard provided the offense in the first period, while Boston's Steve Heinze and Carolina's Robert Kron scored in the second. Bryan Dafoe and Arturs Irbe went to battle in the third period and ensured that we'd get free hockey by holding the offenses scoreless to force overtime. In extra time, the Canes would finally break into the win column. Sheppard jumped on a rebound and beat a sprawled-out Dafoe to give the franchise its first postseason win in North Carolina. While they'd have to wait to get their first win in Raleigh (as noted above), it helped to show that hockey in North Carolina was nothing to be messed with. The Canes would follow up this game with a win in Game 3 in Boston, but the Bruins were tired of playing games and they'd win three straight to end the series in six games and eliminate the Canes from the postseason. 

22. Hats Off to Mr. Svechnikov- 8/3/20- Qualifying Round, Game 2- Rangers at Hurricanes

The 2020 Playoffs are always going to be seen as a weird time in NHL History. After a few months off, the league decided to put together two bubbles with 12 teams each to crown the Stanley Cup Champion for the 2019-20 season. The Canes had been playing well before the pause and this allowed them the opportunity to be the home team in a best-of-five series against the New York Rangers in Toronto. In a normal season, the Rangers wouldn't make the playoffs, but the extended field allowed them a chance they would not have gotten otherwise. The Canes got the best of the Rangers in Game 1 with a 3-2 victory that was not as close as the score might indicate. Game 2 won't be remembered for being a classic in the team's history. It will be remembered as the day that Andrei Svechnikov owned the Rangers. After scoring his first goal in the first five minutes, Artemi Panarin tied the game on the power play to make the Canes sweat a little bit. From there, it was all Canes. Svechnikov scored the team's second goal on the power play and was followed 1:11 later by Jordan Martinook to take a 3-1 lead into the third period. After a long period with no changes, Svechnikov scored his third of the game to notch the first postseason hat trick in both Whalers and Hurricanes history. I was surprised it hadn't ever happened before, but for Svechnikov to be the man to do it felt very big. For it to happen against a known Canes killer like Henrik Lundqvist in what would be his final game was even cooler. This would give the Canes a 2-0 series lead and they'd finish the job in Game 3 to sweep the Rangers and advance to the first round of the postseason, where they'd fall to the Boston Bruins in five games. 

21. Pushing Past the Preds- 5/27/21- First Round, Game 6- Hurricanes at Predators

With the division re-drawn for the 2020-21 season, it made for some interesting rivalries since the teams couldn't play outside of their new division. The Canes won the Central Division in a tight race against the Panthers and Lightning to claim their first division crown since 2005-06 and earn home ice through at least the first two rounds. Their opponent in the first round was a first-time meeting with the Nashville Predators, who finished 16 points behind the Hurricanes to finish fourth in the division. The series to this point had been a see-saw affair. The Canes won Games 1 and 2 at home by three goals to take a 2-0 series lead before heading to Nashville, where they dropped both Games 3 and 4 in double overtime as Nashville evened the series. Game 5 would be another overtime affair in front of the Caniacs and the Canes would come out on the winning side as Jordan Staal batted a puck out of mid-air to win the game and put the Canes on the verge of advancing. Game 6 would be just as close. Nashville controlled the game from the outset, leading 3-1 less than halfway through the second period as they looked to push the series to a seventh game. Sebastian Aho pulled the team back within one with a goal on the power play before the end of the period and give them a little bit of hope. Juuse Saros continued to hold the Canes back, but all it took was one face-off play to get the job done. After the team won the draw, Jaccob Slavin brought the puck down the far boards and found a wide-open Dougie Hamilton on the doorstep to tie the game with 6:01 left as the Canes forced overtime for the fourth-straight game. Just over a minute into overtime, Slavin threw a puck on the net and Aho deflected it over the shoulder of Saros to put the Preds to bed. It was a far more competitive series than I'd originally anticipated and the Preds pushed the Canes to the brink. The ride wouldn't last long for the Canes as they fell in five games to the Lightning, but this was a fun ending to an even series. 

20. The Juice is Loose- 5/6/09- ECSF, Game 3- Bruins at Hurricanes

The 2009 playoff run for the Canes featured some insane games. The first I've included on this list is from the series with the Bruins. After a thrilling series win over the Devils, the Canes were rewarded with a matchup with the Boston Bruins. The Bruins were coming off a 116-point regular season that saw them finish just one point off the President's Trophy race and they'd just completed a four-game sweep of the Canadiens in the first round. They scored the Game 1 victory with a 4-1 win in Boston before Cam Ward shut down the Bruins' offense with a 36-save shutout in Game 2 to even the series. With the series coming to Raleigh for the first time, the Bruins found the early advantage with a goal from Milan Lucic in the first period before the Canes scored twice in the second period thanks to Eric Staal and Sergei Samsonov. '06 Cup Winner Mark Recchi burned the Canes with a goal for the Bruins to even the game 2-2 less than halfway through the third period and the game would go to overtime for the first time in the best-of-seven series. On this night, the hero would be someone that had a flair for the dramatic against the Devils. After Samsonov threw a backhander onto Tim Thomas, Jussi Jokinen won a battle to the front of the net and slid the puck past Thomas to seal the victory and give the Canes a 2-1 series lead over the kings of the Eastern Conference. This was a huge victory for the Canes because even though the Canes would win Game 4, they'd drop Games 5 and 6, meaning a seventh game would be necessary. More on that game in a bit. 

19. Down But Never Out- 5/18/22- 2nd Round, Game 1- Rangers at Hurricanes

The most recent game on this list, the series between the Rangers and Hurricanes didn't pan out the way the Caniacs wanted it to. They found themselves on the short end of the series, but this was a fun game for the Canes and their fans. Both teams were coming off seven-game series wins, so they weren't very rested. The story coming into the series was going to be Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers goalie that was without a doubt going to win the Vezina. He had been so dominant all season and it looked like things were going to remain the same on this night. The Rangers struck first with a goal from Filip Chytil that Antti Raanta had no chance of stopping in the first period and from there it was all Shesterkin. The Canes couldn't mount much of an offensive on the Rangers, but the tide of the game switched in the third period. The Canes' offense came alive and started to put some dangerous chances on Shesterkin. Nino Niederreiter had the best chance of the game, ringing the post behind the Rangers' netminder as the fans in Raleigh began to grow restless. A savior would later step forward in the form of Sebastian Aho. Seth Jarvis made a great pass to Aho and though he was denied initially, he would find a way to get it past Shesterkin with 2:23 left in the third period to tie things up and the Canes would force overtime. In overtime, it took a fortunate bounce but an unlikely hero stepped up to win it. Ian Cole spun around and fired a puck towards Shesterkin that hit the stick of Ryan Lindgren and beat the goalie to give the Canes the 2-1 win and an early edge in the series. The Canes have a history of defensemen showing up and getting the job done in clutch situations and this was just another in a long line of great wins. 

18. The Raleigh Marathon- 6/8/22- Stanley Cup Final, Game 3- Red Wings at Hurricanes

Not every memorable game has to be a win. When the Canes locked horns with the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final in 2002, they were considered to be way out of their depth. Detroit was far and away the best team in the league during the regular season, winning the President's Trophy by 15 points. They were a juggernaut of a team that featured a ton of future Hall of Famers. The Canes were happy to be there. The series was even at this point, featuring another big win in franchise history, but this game would be remembered for a different reason. On this night in Raleigh, the Wings and the Canes would go to war. This war would prove to be the longest in franchise history. In all fairness, the Canes could've won this in regulation, but the Wings were relentless. Josef Vasicek got the Canes on the board in the first period and Igor Larionov scored in the second period as we entered the third period in a deadlock. Jeff O'Neill scored 7:34 into the third period and they held the lead for most of the period. With just 1:14 remaining in regulation, Brett Hull deflected the puck past Arturs Irbe to tie things up as the game would head to overtime for the second time in three games. Both teams had their chances to finish this game, but it was Larionov that outwaited Irbe and beat him high with a backhand shot that would end things in the third overtime. In total, the game lasted 114:47 and remains the only 3OT game in franchise history. While it stinks the end up on the wrong side of the decision, this game remains historic. It's not every day that you play three overtime periods. 

17. Welcome Back, Caniacs- 4/15/19- 1st Round, Game 3- Capitals at Hurricanes

It had been nine years, ten months, and 20 excruciating days since playoff hockey graced the wonderful city of Raleigh. On this day in mid-April, the Caniacs flooded into PNC Arena to watch their team finally play in a game with serious stakes. The Canes had fallen behind the Capitals 2-0 in the series after two losses in D.C., including an overtime loss in Game 2. The Capitals were the defending champions, finally getting over the hump in 2018 and hoisted Lord Stanley for the first time in the franchise's history. They followed it up with a division crown in 2018-19 while the Canes clinched its spot in the postseason in the final week of the season as the East's first Wild Card team. This game was a case of the good, the bad, and the ugly. The bad would come in the first period when rookie Andrei Svechnikov was knocked out by Alex Ovechkin and his head bounced off the ice, taking him out of the rest of the series. The ugly was the way the Canes looked in the first ten minutes. With their backs against the wall, the Canes didn't look great coming out of the gate, allowing some great chances that were stopped by Petr Mrazek. The good was everything else. Warren Foegele had a puck bounce off him and into the net to break the ice and send the Caniacs into a frenzy. In the second period, Foegele finished a beautiful passing play for his second of the night before Dougie Hamilton scored on the power play to push the lead to 3-0. Hamilton would add another one on the power play and Brock McGinn beat Braden Holtby on a partial breakaway to give the Canes a decisive 5-0 win as Mrazek stopped all 18 shots he faced. The arena was bumping all night long and it played a huge factor in the way the series played out. It was great to see everyone back in the arena in mid-April, a sight that had been sorely missed for nearly a decade. This was hardly the first great game in the series as the teams would be pushed to seven games for a winner-take-all spectacular. 

16. The Kid Shall Inherit the Net- 4/24/06- ECQF, Game 2, Canadiens at Hurricanes

There probably aren't many that would consider this game to be anything special. After all, the Canes lost this game in 2OT. I remember this game as not only the first hockey game I ever went to but as a night that changed the franchise forever. The Southeast Division champions had just been embarrassed by the seventh-seed Canadiens in Game 1, dropping a 6-1 decision in front of the home crowd. On this night, the course of the season and the franchise would be altered by one decision. After Martin Gerber, who'd been phenomenal in the regular season, allowed three more goals in the first 14:46 of the first period, Peter Laviolette decided enough was enough. He pulled Gerber in favor of rookie Cam Ward. Ward had been used sparingly in the regular season, playing in 28 games and winning 14 in his first season. This decision seemed to light a fire under the Canes' offense. Matt Cullen and Rod Brind'Amour on the power play would score goals in the second period to bring the team within one and then Ray Whitney would tie things up with another goal on the man advantage just 22 seconds into the third frame. Brind'Amour scored the team's third power play goal 53 seconds later to finally jump ahead in the game, but Montreal would score two of their own 36 seconds apart to regain the lead at 5-4. With time winding down and a 2-0 deficit looming, Cory Stillman would beat Cristobal Huet to tie things once again and force overtime. The rookie goalies would battle through the first overtime, but it was Michael Ryder in the second overtime that would put an end to this game and send the series back above the border with the Canes in a huge hole. Ward played over 67 minutes in relief in this game, stopping 20 shots despite taking the loss. His performance was enough to give Laviolette confidence in his rookie netminder to start him in the hostile confines of the Bell Centre with their playoff lives on the line. I'll have more on that game later. 

15. Domi-nance in Game 7- 5/14/22- 1st Round, Game 7- Bruins at Hurricanes

In Hurricanes history, there are many players that have written themselves into the history books in Game 7. There are plenty of Game 7s to talk about later on this list, but the first I want to talk about happened this season. Before they dropped their most recent, the Canes were undefeated in winner-take-all games. To this point in the series, the home team had dominated each of the first six games. Boston was riding high after their 5-1 win to force this seventh game, but there was something magical in the air on this afternoon. The Canes were looking to exercise some demons against the Bruins. Boston had knocked the Canes out in both 2019 and 2020, yet things felt different this time around. The Canes had been quiet at the trade deadline, only acquiring Max Domi from the Blue Jackets. While he hadn't been lights out to that point, he had the game of his life against this Bruins team. The two teams couldn't find the back of the net, but it was Teuvo Teravainen that would break the ice. Domi found Teravainen at the top of the crease and he tipped it home to take the lead late in the period. Domi would keep it going early in the second period as he corralled a puck from below the goalline and he deposited it into the net to make it 2-0. Boston would answer to cut the lead in half less than two minutes later and put pressure back on the Canes. After Trent Frederic rang the post on one end, Teravainen would find Domi between the circles and he'd bury a one-timer past Jeremy Swayman to put the Canes back up by two goals. While Boston would score late in the third period, it would be too late for the Bruins as the Canes would hold them off and earn the series win. Domi's three-point performance is one of the best in franchise history in a winner-take-all game and it helped to put the Canes' struggles against the Bruins behind them. 

14. Juss in the Nick of Time- 4/21/09- ECQF, Game 4- Devils at Hurricanes

I mentioned earlier when talking about the Canes-Bruins series from 2009 that Jussi Jokinen had been at the center of some dramatic moments during this series. The first such moment came in this game in Raleigh against New Jersey. The Devils were the Atlantic Division champions and held a 2-1 lead in the series after splitting the two games in New Jersey before winning Game 3 in overtime in Raleigh. Though he'd been hurt for a large portion of the season, Martin Brodeur had looked good through three games, allowing just five goals. The Canes got to him early and often in this one. Eric Staal and Ryan Bayda scored 1:03 apart in the first period to take the early 2-0 lead less than nine minutes into the game and Chad Larose added a third goal 6:30 into the second period. Cam Ward had looked unbeatable to that point in the game, but the Devils weren't going away. In a span of 9:14 of game time between the end of the second period and the beginning of the third, the Devils would score three times to tie things up and they came close to taking the lead. The two teams were looking destined to play a third-straight overtime game in the series. One man had different ideas. The goal itself is considered to be a little controversial with many Devils fans feeling like Brodeur was interfered with, but the referees thought otherwise. Dennis Seidenberg let go a shot from the point and Jokinen deflected it home with less than a second left in regulation to even the series. Brodeur was furious as he thought he'd been interfered with, while the Canes and the Caniacs went nuts. The goal would stand, the puck would be dropped, and the horn would sound as the Canes tied the series at two games apiece while this game remains one of the best finishes in franchise history. 

13. With Just One Eye- 5/21/02- ECF, Game 3- Hurricanes at Maple Leafs

It's crazy to think the series against Toronto might be the least remembered series from the 2002 run to the Stanley Cup Final, yet it still has two games on this list. The Canes and Leafs entered the night tied in the series after dueling 2-1 victories from Toronto in Game 1 and Carolina in Game 2, both games taking place in Raleigh. Game 3 was a low-scoring game that will likely only be remembered for one moment. The Canes struck first early in the first period with Ron Francis tipping a point shot from Sami Kapanen past Curtis Joseph on the power play. The Leafs would answer late in the second period with their own goal on the power play at Bryan McCabe lasered one past Arturs Irbe to tie it. With the two teams playing through a scoreless third period, overtime would be warranted for a second game.  In the first period of the game, Jeff O'Neill took a puck to his eye and it left him with a nice and swollen black eye. He hardly missed a beat for the rest of the night. The crowning moment for O'Neill on that night came just over six minutes into the overtime period as he picked up a loose puck and fired it top shelf on Joseph to give the Canes a 2-1 victory and series lead. It had been an extremely close series to this point and with the third-straight one-goal finish, it set up a thrilling conclusion of the series. The six-game set would be exactly that and we'll talk about the conclusion of the series in a little bit. 

12. In Rod We Trust- 4/26/06- ECQF, Game 3- Hurricanes at Canadiens

After allowing 12 goals in the first two games in Raleigh, the series shifted to Montreal for the first time with a rookie netminder taking control. Cam Ward played well in relief in Game 2 and though the Canes couldn't hold onto the lead and lost, it was time to turn a new leaf and try to crawl back into the series with a new man in the net. Things would get off to a slow and methodical start with neither team scoring in the first period. Richard Zednik would break the tie 9:17 into the second period on the power play to put the Canes on the verge of falling down 3-0 on the road. While the Canes stayed down 1-0 after the second period, the third period would turn into a dogfight. The Canes' offense kicked it into high gear and threw everything they could at Cristobal Huet. It felt like all hope was lost until Rod Brind'Amour found a hole and tied it all up. It appeared to be an unsuspecting shot, but Brind'Amour tipped it right between the pads of Huet with less than half of the third period left to play to tie things up and give the Canes some hope. Huet and Ward would not break again during regulation and the series would head to overtime yet again. Early in overtime, Tomas Plekanec would be called for hooking, giving the Canes another power play opportunity. Just over a minute later, Eric Staal would rip a one-timer from the point past Huet and went nuts in celebration as the stunned Montreal faithful looked on. This game changed the tides of the series as the Canes would win the next three games, including another overtime win in Game 6 to seal the series and advance to the second round. Ward would allow four goals in the final three games to establish himself as the starter as the Canes moved into the next round to face the Devils. 

11. The Cardiac Canes Strike Again- 5/8/06- ECSF, Game 2- Devils at Hurricanes

While Game 1 in the series was a massacre, Game 2 would be a little bit more even. Martin Brodeur was forced out of the first game after allowing six goals, but he was on his game in this one. Jamie Langenbrunner would open the scoring early in the first period to get the Devils out ahead and on the board after being held scoreless by Cam Ward in Game 1. It would take the Canes forever to get it back as Mark Recchi scored on the power play with less than two minutes left in the second period to even the game. As tight as everything was for the first 59 minutes of the game, it was the final 30 seconds that are remembered. The sequence starts with the Zach Parise firing a shot towards the net that deflects off the stick of Scott Gomez and past a confused Ward to give the Devils the lead with 20.7 seconds left and the series looking to be tied at a game apiece. The ensuing face-off was won all the way back into the Devils' zone and as Justin Williams forechecked like crazy, he passed the puck to Eric Staal at the top of the crease as he slid it through Brodeur and into the net with 3.8 seconds left to force overtime and give the fans a moment they wouldn't soon forget. Riding the wave of emotion into overtime, Cory Stillman backchecked the Devils to force a turnover onto the stick of Rod Brind'Amour. The captain slid the puck to the far boards to Niclas Wallin and though John Madden tried to hook it off his stick, the puck hit Wallin's skate and beat Brodeur's five-hole to secure a 2-0 series lead for the Canes before heading to New Jersey. After a lengthy review, the goal stood and the arena went nuts. Staal's goal changed the entire complexion of the series. With the Canes winning both games in Raleigh, it gave them a major advantage. They would go on to split the games in New Jersey before finishing the job in Raleigh in Game 5 to advance to the Eastern Conference Final. 

10. O Captain, My Captain- 6/5/06- SCF, Game 1- Oilers at Hurricanes

The 2006 Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and Hurricanes was not a matchup many people expected coming out of the lockout the year prior. When the Hurricanes made it to the final, no one was too surprised after their stellar regular season. Edmonton was another story. The Oilers became the first eight-seed to advance to the final under the new playoff format after upsetting Detroit, the President's Trophy winners, in the conference quarterfinal, San Jose in the conference semifinals, and the Ducks in the Western Conference Final. The RBC Center was rocking when the puck dropped, but it was the Oilers that came ready to play. Edmonton's MVP of the postseason, Fernando Pisani, scored the series' first goal in the first period and Dwayne Roloson was keeping the Canes off the board. Chris Pronger made NHL history by scoring the first penalty shot goal in Stanley Cup Final history to add to the lead and Ethan Moreau made it 3-0 shortly after. This deficit wouldn't keep the Canes down as Rod Brind'Amour scored with 2:43 left in the second period to bring some life back into the arena. This would carry into the third period as Ray Whitney scored two goals in 3:29, the second coming on the power play, and Justin Williams scored a short-handed goal to give the Canes the lead with 9:58 left. Ales Hemsky would tie things back up on the power play with 6:29 left to swing the momentum back. This series has always been the subject of controversy because many think the Oilers would've won this series if not for the injury to the Oiler's netminder. Andrew Ladd was pushing into Roloson with six minutes left to play, forcing him out of the game and the series, and bringing Ty Conklin on in relief. As time winded down and overtime seemed inevitable, Conklin misplayed a puck behind the net and Brind'Amour scored into the empty net to give the Canes the win. Cam Ward closed the door on the Oilers' last-minute push and secured the first win in the series, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit. It was as electric as the building has ever been and it set the tone for a thrilling series. 

9. Silencing the Motor City- 6/4/02- SCF, Game 1- Hurricanes at Red Wings

Before the Canes tasted success in the Stanley Cup Final in 2006, they got their first crack at the cup in 2002. While the result didn't end in their favor in the long run, Game 1 was an all-time finish for the Canes. As I mentioned earlier, the 2002 Red Wings were an absolute wagon. No one was giving the Canes a chance in this series and it started with Game 1 in Detroit. Sergei Federov scored on the power play in the first period to give the Wings the lead, but Sean Hill responded in the second period with a goal during a 5-on-3 to even things up. Kirk Maltby put Detroit back out front just over halfway through the middle frame. but it was responded to again by the Canes, this time by Jeff O'Neill with 50 seconds left in the period. Arturs Irbe and Dominik Hasek were perfect in the third period, giving the Canes a chance to complete a huge upset in the opening game. Overtime wouldn't last long as O'Neill set up Ron Francis at the top of the crease as he elevated it over Hasek and into the net as the Detroit crowd sat in astonishment while the Canes rushed off the bench. The Canes made a statement with their win in the first game and while it wouldn't amount to anything in the end, it was a great showing for the Canes in their first Stanley Cup Final game in franchise history. The Wings would win the next four games to capture the Stanley Cup, but the Canes scored the most exciting win of the series. 

8. "It's Strange But True..."- 5/28/02- ECF, Game 6- Hurricanes at Maple Leafs

Through five games, the Canes and the Leafs had played four one-goal games, with the Canes' 3-0 win in Game 4 being the only multi-goal win in the series. Toronto's season was on the line as they returned home to try and force a seventh game back in Raleigh. Arturs Irbe and Curtis Joseph had only allowed 13 goals through five games and this would turn into another goalie duel. The teams were held scoreless through two periods with Irbe and Joseph refusing the bend. The ice breaker would come courtesy of Jeff O'Neill just before the midway point of the third period. O'Neill forced a turnover and walked in on Joseph and while the Leafs' goalie got most of the puck, he followed it up and poked it across the line. Irbe continued to put on a show, but the Leafs didn't go away and they'd eventually find their way past Irbe as Toronto captain Mats Sundin scored during a mad scramble to tie the game with 21.8 seconds left. The goal would force the third overtime of the series. The Canes would get the better of the Leafs on this night for the fourth and final time. After a seemingly harmless pass from Josef Vasicek made its way to the front of the net, Martin Gelinas got his stick on it and redirected it into the back of the net to end the series. Arguably the best part of it was the call from ESPN's Steve Levy as he uttered the words "It's strange but true, folks" as he announced the Hurricanes as the champions of the Eastern Conference. Prior to this season, the Canes hadn't won a series since relocation. Now they were heading to the Stanley Cup Final to play for the Stanley Cup for the first time. 

7. The Save- 4/24/02- ECQF, Game 5- Devils at Hurricanes

Before the Canes did battle with the Maple Leafs and Red Wings, they had to face a tough battle with the New Jersey Devils. The Devils were two seasons removed from winning the Stanley Cup, lost in the Stanley Cup Final the year before and though they finished third in their division, they still had more points than the Hurricanes during the regular season. Through four games, the home team had won each game and the series returned to Raleigh for Game 5 with a shake-up between the pipes for the Canes. Paul Maurice opted to pull Arturs Irbe in Game 4 after allowing two goals on eight shots in the first period and brought in deadline acquisition Kevin Weekes. Though they'd lose Game 4, Weekes played well in relief and earned the start in front of the Caniacs in Game 5. After a scoreless first, the two teams traded goals in the second and third periods. Bobby Holik and Martin Gelinas scored 2:14 apart in the second period to knot the game at one. Patrik Elias scored on the power play to slide the Devils ahead with 8:14 remaining until Jeff O'Neill tied things again on the power play with 1:29 left as the two teams would play their second overtime game of the series. As good as the battle leading up to this point was, this game will forever be remembered for two saves made seconds apart that preserved the tie before the eventual game-winner was scored. Early in the overtime session, Weekes made a phenomenal stop on Stephane Richer, but he left the net wide-open as the puck found its way onto the stick of John Madden. Without a second of hesitation, Weekes stuck his glove out and grabbed the puck out of mid-air as he made his way to his feet with the jaws of everyone planted firmly on the ground. It might be one of the most iconic saves in franchise history and it was only made better once the Canes finished the job with Josef Vasicek scoring the game-winner a few minutes later. Weekes would make 40 saves in the win and it would start a shutout streak for Weekes as he'd be perfect in the series-clinching win in Game 6 and the opening game of the series with Montreal, spanning 135:39. Who knows what happens if Weekes doesn't make that stop on Madden?

6. The Molson Miracle- 5/9/02- ECSF, Game 4- Hurricanes at Canadiens

When I think of the best comebacks in franchise history, this will likely always be at the top of the list. The Canadiens had just beaten the top-seeded Boston Bruins in six games in the conference quarterfinals and after being shut out by Kevin Weekes in Game 1, they'd earned back-to-back wins in Games 2 and 3 to take the lead in the series. Despite decent performances from Weekes, the offense had dried up, scoring just four goals in the first three games. Weekes was on a short leash and he didn't last long in this one. Montreal opened the scoring with two goals in the first period 58 seconds apart as Weekes would be lifted for Irbe as the carousel in the net continued to spin. Montreal would add a third goal in the second period on the power play as the Canadiens looked to be in control of things. The third period would be unlike anything we'd seen from the Canes in the postseason. It started with a 5-on-3. To this point, Jose Theodore was looking unbeatable. Sean Hill had enough of that and he blasted one from the point that ended the shutout and brought the team back to life. A little past the midway point in the third, Bates Battaglia slapped another one past Theodore to bring the Canes within one with 7:17 left. In the final minute, with Irbe sitting on the bench and the Canes controlling the puck after the face-off, Erik Cole found a loose puck in the crease and slid it past an unsuspecting Theodore with 40.8 seconds on the clock to tie the game and force an overtime that had felt impossible when the third period began. In overtime, the Canes didn't allow Montreal to get into a rhythm, and off the face-off, Niklas Wallin snapped a silent shot from the point that Theodore never saw as the Canes completed their comeback to even the series. This was the first of Wallin's three game-winning goals in overtime, the most in franchise history, and would be the catalyst for the team as they'd go on to win the next two games by a combined score of 13-3 to finish the Canadiens in six games and advance to their first Eastern Conference Final. 

5. The Villain Becomes the Hero- 5/14/09- ECSF, Game 7- Hurricanes at Bruins

You'll notice a trend with the final five games on this list. We've already talked about Game 3 on this list with Jussi Jokinen scoring in overtime. The Canes were in full control of the series winning Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Game 5 would prove to be a pivotal turning point, more specifically the third period of the game. The Bruins were on their way to a 4-0 win and sending the series back to Raleigh. After the play was stopped, Aaron Ward and Scott Walker got into it and it led to Walker sucker-punching Ward. Walker was sent to the showers early and was fined for his actions but he was not suspended as he came back for the remainder of the series. The Bruins would win Game 6 in Raleigh, meaning the Canes would be forced to return to Boston for a winner-take-all Game 7. Byron Bitz opened the scoring in the first period, but Rod Brind'Amour scored his first of the postseason before the end of the period to tie it up. The Canes would take the lead with the only goal of the second period with former Bruin Sergei Samsonov burning his old club to give the Canes a 2-1 lead heading into the third period. The Bruins would allow the deficit to stand for long as Milan Lucic knotted things up again just over six minutes into the period. Cam Ward and Tim Thomas battled down the stretch and with no one willing to break the tie, the series was going to be decided in overtime. The goalie battle continued in overtime as neither started wanted to see their team's season end. As the overtime session continued on, it looked like a second extra period was going to be on the horizon. Instead, public enemy number one in Boston became the hero for the Canes. Ray Whitney threw a shot at the net that Thomas turned away, but it ended up on the stick of Walker as he awkwardly lifted it into the Boston net to end the series. Walker was clearly enthused as he fought through his teammates to hug Ward. It was Walker's first-career postseason goal and it would be the only one he'd score. It was the redemption arc the team needed as Walker went from villain to hero in two games. 

4. Meet Me in Raleigh, Lord Stanley- 6/1/06- ECF, Game 7- Sabres at Hurricanes

I don't think it's often expressed just how hard-hitting the series between Buffalo and Carolina was during the 2006 Eastern Conference Final. It's probably one of the most under-appreciated series wins in franchise history. The Canes and Sabres were very similar teams in make-up and style and it showed in this seven-game slugfest. Buffalo finished with 110 points, just two behind the Canes, and was second in the Northeast Division. They beat Philadelphia in six games, then upset the Senators in five games to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1999. The two teams traded wins in the first four games before the Canes won Game 5 in overtime to take a 3-2 series lead. Buffalo secured an overtime win of their own in Game 6 to set up Game 7, the first Game 7 since relocation, with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line. The game would start the Canes' way as Mike Commodore unleashed a seed from the point and beat Sabres goalie Ryan Miller after deflecting off a couple of his own defenders. The Canes would dry up a little in the second period and the Sabres would take advantage as Doug Janik and Jochen Hecht scored in the final 4:10 of the period to carry a 2-1 lead into the third period. The lead for the Sabres would be short-lived as Doug Weight scored 1:34 into the period off a feed from Ray Whitney to tie the game. The turning point in the game would come when Brian Campbell was called for delay of game after the puck ended up over the glass. A minute later, Rob Brind'Amour would jump on a puck that was left in the slot that the Sabres penalty killers weren't able to see. He roofed the shot over Miller's shoulder to put the Canes 8:38 away from their second Stanley Cup Final appearance. Cam Ward would shut the door from there and Justin Williams iced the game with a goal in the final minute as the RBC Center erupted and the players went nuts. The clock would hit zero as the Sabres' season ended and the Canes celebrated their series victory with the Edmonton Oilers looming. 

3. The Shock at the Rock- 4/28/09- ECQF, Game 7- Hurricanes at Devils

For my money, this might be the best regulation finish in franchise history. After Game 4, the series would see back-to-back shutouts as Martin Brodeur blanked the Canes in Game 5 before Cam Ward returned the favor with a 28-save shutout of his own three days later to force a seventh game. The momentum was on the Canes' side despite the game taking place in New Jersey following their 4-0 victory in Game 6. Tuomo Ruutu started things off with a goal just 1:02 into the game, but the Devils responded about a minute and a half later to tie the game. The Devils would grab the lead with a goal from Jay Pandolfo to carry a lead into the second period. Ray Whitney would get the goal back for the Canes until the Devils scored on the power play with Brian Rolston putting the Devils on the brink of advancing. The scoring would go quiet for the rest of the second period and as the time in the third period drew closer to zero, the hopes of Caniacs everywhere went with it. Then, the funniest thing happened. Tim Gleason fell to a knee to keep the puck in the zone and passed it along to Joni Pitkanen. Pitkanen saw the Red Sea part as he passed it to Jussi Jokinen at the side of the net as he shot it past Brodeur to tie the game with 1:20 left in regulation. As I've said plenty of times thus far, it looked like this game was going to overtime. On this night, overtime wouldn't be needed. It started as a very innocent play as Chad Larose one-touched the puck to Eric Staal as he skated up the boards and unleashed a wicked shot that beat Brodeur clean 48 seconds after they tied it to give the Canes the lead late in the game. The defense would clamp down on the Devils and the final horn sounded as the Canes shocked the Devils. These two have gone to war plenty of times, but I can't help but think Brodeur thinks about all these losses to the Hurricanes and this one scares him the most. 

2. Lord Stanley Finds a New Home- 6/19/06- SCF, Game 7- Oilers at Hurricanes

It might seem crazy that I don't have the game where the Canes win the Stanley Cup in the top spot, but I promise I have my reasons. The entire 2005-06 season rode on this one game. After 82 games in the regular season and another 24 in the postseason, the 107th game of the season was for all the marbles. The Canes were up 3-1 in the series, but the Oilers fought back with an overtime win in Game 5 and a dominating win in Game 6 to force a winner-take-all game for the Stanley Cup. The Canes were met with good news and bad news prior to Game 6. Doug Weight was forced out of the series with a shoulder injury, while Erik Cole was cleared to return following a neck injury that had kept him out for several months. While he wouldn't factor into either game, it was good to see Cole back. This game was a little more one-sided than many would've expected. Aaron Ward ripped a shot from the point 1:26 into the game and Frantisek Kaberle got some help as he scored on the power play early in the second period. Cam Ward was perfect through two periods, but Fernando Pisani scored his league-leading 14th goal just over a minute into the third period to tighten the game a little as we hit the home stretch. The defining moment of this game, and arguably the most iconic save of this series, came with 3:40 left in the game. Raffi Torres let a soft shot go that Ward stopped with his pad and then in a full split, Pisani's rebound chance was stopped as Ward held strong with his pad and covered the puck while Torres yelled in disbelief. Justin Williams would ice the game with an empty-net goal and he jumped up and down in celebration as the building and the bench knew they were a minute away from hoisting the Stanley Cup. As the players filed off the bench and the streamers fell from the ceiling, the realization finally set in that the Canes had reached the pinnacle of the league. Cam Ward was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after an amazing run in the postseason, winning 15 of the team's 16 games. To this day, this is the most amazing moment I've ever seen in person. Everyone stood for the duration of the game and we celebrated as if we'd won the Cup too. The franchise has never had another moment like this, but I'm not sure anything will ever beat the first time. 

1. 7th Heaven in Washington- 4/24/19- 1st Round, Game 7- Hurricanes at Capitals

Call it recency bias, but I think this is the most important game in franchise history. The home team had won every game in the series heading into the deciding game. Washington dominated Game 5 with a 6-0 victory and the Canes responded with a 5-2 win of their own. With the Canes forcing the defending champions back home for the seventh game, they were going to need a good start. They got the exact opposite of that. Andre Burakovsky and Tom Wilson scored in the first 6:23 to put the Canes on the chopping block. The defense left Petr Mrazek out to dry with their performance in the first period. The game took a turn in the second period. Sebastian Aho scored a soft goal while shorthanded after Braden Holtby failed to hold onto a puck. Evgeny Kuznetsov found the scoresheet with his first of the series to re-gain the Capitals' two-goal lead. Teuvo Teravainen scored another soft goal before the end of the period after Aho lifted the stick of Kuznetzov to get the puck to Teravainen as he spun and beat Holtby. Early in the third period, Jordan Staal tied the game, scoring a goal extremely similar to the goal his brother Eric scored in 2009 on Martin Brodeur. Holtby probably should've stopped this shot as well since he had a good angle on the shot. Mrazek and Holtby wouldn't allow another goal in regulation, meaning we were getting overtime again. Nothing was resolved during the first overtime, so a second overtime would be needed and it would result in one of the best moments in franchise history. Mr. Game 7 Justin Williams threw a puck towards the front of the net and Brock McGinn batted it out of the air to beat Holtby and the celebration was on. McGinn jumped up and down as he skated towards his teammates and they cheered amidst a stunned Washington crowd. After missing the playoffs for almost a decade, the Canes had completed the upset to defeat the defending champs with a relatively inexperienced team. This clearly isn't the same as winning a Stanley Cup, but this moment is one that could define the franchise for years to come. It was a long wait for the team to finally see success in the postseason and the payoff we got makes it one of the most memorable games in franchise history.