Carolina first to sweep two series

Carolina entered the Eastern Conference final with an 8-0 playoff record after sweeping Ottawa in the first round and Philadelphia in the second. ESPN said that made the Hurricanes the first team in NHL history to sweep their first two best-of-seven series in a single postseason under the current four-round format, while CBS Sports said Carolina also finished first in the Eastern Conference. ### Which two series did Carolina sweep to get here? May 9 was the last time Carolina played before the conference final, according to CBS Sports, which said the Hurricanes completed a second-round sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers after opening the playoffs with a sweep of the Ottawa Senators. That gave Carolina an 11-day layoff before the next round. (cbssports.com) ESPN’s playoff bracket showed Carolina beating Ottawa 4-0 in the first round and Philadelphia 4-0 in the second. The same bracket listed the Hurricanes as the No. 1 seed in the East. ### What exactly is the record here? ESPN’s daily playoff preview said Carolina became “the first team in NHL history” to sweep its first two best-of-seven series in one playoff run. (cbssports.com) CBS Sports repeated the same benchmark in its Game 1 preview for Montreal-Carolina. (espn.com) The qualifier matters because the NHL’s playoff structure has changed over time. ESPN and CBS Sports both framed the feat around the league’s current best-of-seven, four-round postseason setup rather than all earlier formats. ### Who was waiting for Carolina in the East final? (cbssports.com) Montreal advanced to face Carolina after a longer route through the bracket. CBS Sports said the Canadiens and Hurricanes took “vastly different paths” to the Eastern Conference final, with Montreal reaching the round after two seven-game series. (cbssports.com) May 18 was the date Montreal clinched its spot, according to NHL.com coverage surfaced on the league site, after Alex Newhook scored the overtime winner in Game 7 against Buffalo. CBS Sports said the Canadiens had also beaten Tampa Bay in seven games in the opening round. ### Where did the series start, and when was Game 1? NHL.com’s conference-final schedule listed the Eastern Conference final as Montreal Canadiens vs. (cbssports.com) Carolina Hurricanes, with Game 1 at PNC Arena in Raleigh. The league schedule page was published May 22. ESPN’s playoff preview said Game 1 was scheduled for 8 p.m. (nhl.com) ET on TNT. The Hurricanes’ team site also said Carolina would face Montreal in the third round after the league confirmed the schedule on May 18. ### How dominant has Carolina been beyond the sweeps? Carolina finished the regular season with 113 points, according to ESPN’s team page, the highest total in the Eastern Conference listed there. (nhl.com) CBS Sports described the Hurricanes as the East’s first-place team entering the conference final. CBS Sports also said no team had yet won a playoff game against Carolina, which carried that unbeaten postseason record into the series opener against Montreal. (nhl.com) ### What comes next in the series? Game 1 was set for May 22 at PNC Arena, with Montreal opening on the road against Carolina in Raleigh. (espn.com) NHL.com’s schedule page said the series would continue in best-of-seven format, with additional games to follow on the conference-final calendar. (nhl.com) (cbssports.com)