The question now is which two of those teams will advance to the Stanley Cup Final? The Hurricanes have breezed through the playoffs with consecutive sweeps, and the Avalanche haven't been much worse, going 8-1 en route to the conference finals.
If anyone is going to knock off those goliaths before the Cup Final, it's up to the Canadiens and Golden Knights to do so. Montreal has already played six more games than Carolina, winning back-to-back Game 7s in order to reach the Eastern Conference Final. The path has been a bit easier for Vegas, winning each of its two series in six games, but the Golden Knights are up against the heavy Stanley Cup favorites in Colorado.
Eastern Conference Final: Carolina vs Montreal
Can the Canadiens do what no team has been able to do in these playoffs?
Carolina has rolled to an 8-0 start, and as a result, it will have earned a record 11-day layoff between postseason games. Montreal presents different challenges than the Ottawa Senators or Philadelphia Flyers, but will it be enough to pull off the upset?
On the surface, the Canadiens have some things working in their favor. For starters, they have more offensive skill than either of the Hurricanes' first two opponents. Cole Caufield scored 51 goals in the regular season, Nick Suzuki topped 101 points and Lane Hutson tallied 78 points from the blue line. Plus, the Montreal power play has been a weapon all season, and it's operating at a 25.0% clip in the playoffs.
On the other hand, calling the Hurricanes' defense stout would be an understatement. Carolina has allowed just 10 goals in eight games while surrendering a meager 2.64 expected goals against per game, per Natural Stat Trick.
The key in this series might be which team gets its top line going sooner. On the Hurricanes' side, Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov have combined for four points at five-on-five. For the Canadiens, Caufield, Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky have totaled five five-on-five points. It's simultaneously surprising and impressive that both teams are here, given those numbers.
Carolina's second line of Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven has been a revelation, and Montreal has been getting frequent contributions from its bottom-nine forwards. Still, it's hard to imagine either side going the distance without its big guns.
The Hurricanes just got 11 days to hit the training table and scout their two potential opponents, while the Canadiens limp out of a dogfight against the Sabres. I'm not worried about Carolina being rusty — especially with Rod Brind'Amour behind the bench — so I'll say the Hurricanes' fresh legs and dogged defense push them to the Stanley Cup Final.
Pick: Hurricanes def. Canadiens 4-2
Prediction: Hurricanes Eye Third Eastern Conference Final in Four Seasons
The Carolina Hurricanes have yet to lose a game this postseason, sweeping the Ottawa Senators in Round 1 and the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 2. Now, they'll play in their third Eastern Conference Final in the past four seasons.
The line of Taylor Hall (3 goals, 9 assists), Jackson Blake (4 goals, 7 assists) and Logan Stankoven (7 goals, 1 assist) has been outstanding, with the trio leading Carolina in scoring this postseason. Despite the Hurricanes' strong offensive showing across the board, their goaltending has been second to none through eight games.
Frederik Andersen enters the conference finals leading the NHL with both a remarkable 1.12 goals-against-average and a .950 save percentage.
While Carolina has yet to be frightened in these playoffs, going 8-for-8 comes with its downsides. The Hurricanes completed their series against the Flyers on May 9; Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final is Thursday, May 21. Carolina will have had 11 days off between postseason games.
Pick: Hurricanes in 6 games
Western Conference Final: Colorado vs Vegas
The Avalanche boast an 8-1 record heading into the conference finals, making them the heavy Stanley Cup favorites. The Golden Knights advanced by winning each of their two series in six games and now face the daunting task of taking down Colorado.
Expert predictions for this series coming soon.