A double sweep to open the National Hockey League playoffs hasn't happened in more than 40 years. After defeating the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers in lightning-quick fashion, the Carolina Hurricanes look primed to finally win a Stanley Cup.
That's not to say the road doesn't get tougher from here. A collision course with the Colorado Avalanche would, in all certainty, give us the best-on-best Stanley Cup the hockey world craves.
Defensive Dominance
Critics have been quick to point to underwhelming competition in the first two rounds—especially a Flyers team that looked young and rattled for a second-round foe. But that discounts too much of what Carolina does to teams when they're at their best: bringing offenses to a screeching halt.
The Hurricanes' defensive numbers through the first two rounds are staggering. One of the benefits of dominating possession is your opponent simply spends a lot of time trying to win the puck back.
Statistical Breakdown
Over the eight games against the Senators and the Flyers, the Hurricanes won the scoring battle at even strength 16-6 (+10). Just as remarkable: opponent power plays are only one goal better than Carolina over that same eight-game stretch.
The goal differential for Carolina's penalty kill is just -1. Six even-strength goals against in eight games is remarkable, in line with what we witnessed from this Hurricanes team all season.
It is simply very difficult to even get the puck into Carolina's zone. And in the rare chance teams do, it's another task entirely to create scoring chances from the dangerous areas of the ice.
System and Personnel
Carolina's personnel play tightly within structure and are exceptional at keeping opposing forwards on the perimeter. The same relationship exists on the penalty kill, where a four-man unit of Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, and Jalen Chatfield can completely shut down the game.
Carolina's defensive zone is hockey's Bermuda Triangle. Watch a Hurricanes game and one thing becomes crystal clear: this team will forecheck you into oblivion, and inexperienced teams can struggle mightily against the pressure.
Forward Suppression
One of the highlights from the first two rounds was how many quality forwards from both Ottawa and Philadelphia found zero space to operate against Carolina's vaunted defense. Looking at the forward groups of both teams and comparing their shot volumes from the regular season versus their matchup with Carolina, there is a staggering drop-off.
It's not just that so many players had decisive, double-digit drop-offs in opportunity—it's that Carolina did it to some of the most dangerous players on the ice.
Skaters like Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Travis Konecny, and Trevor Zegras were bottled up. The only two consequential skaters who outperformed were Tim Stutzle and Christian Dvorak, and that outperformance is only a function of shot volume.
Stutzle was blanked at evens in four games against Carolina, and Dvorak had just one helper. The last thing you want to see are depth forwards like Lars Eller and Garnet Hathaway being leaned on to generate offensive pressure.
Goaltending Excellence
Add in great goaltending from Frederik Andersen and his absurd .950 save percentage, and you can see why Carolina has dominated the competition.
Looking Ahead
Ask anyone in the Hurricanes organization and they'll tell you the job isn't finished. Few teams have more postseason wins than Carolina over the past decade, yet they still haven't raised the Stanley Cup since 2006.
There's been a tortured history there of late, especially in the Eastern Conference Final. Carolina has been here two of the past three years, with both of those bids ending unsuccessfully.
But this year feels different. With the defensive structure, goaltending, and depth all clicking at the right time, the Hurricanes are positioned as legitimate contenders.