Carolina becomes first team under current playoff format to sweep the first two rounds

The Carolina Hurricanes entered the Eastern Conference final with a piece of NHL history already attached to their playoff run. Carolina swept the Ottawa Senators in four games in the first round and then swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games in the second round, becoming the first team to open a postseason by winning each of its first two best-of-seven series 4-0 under the league’s current playoff format. The NHL and the Hurricanes both cited the mark this week as Carolina prepared to face the Montreal Canadiens. The streak gave Carolina eight straight playoff wins before the conference final began in Raleigh. ### How did Carolina set the record? Carolina finished the first two rounds without dropping a game. NHL.com’s playoff pages show the Hurricanes beat Ottawa 4-2 in Game 4 on April 25 to complete a first-round sweep, then beat Philadelphia 3-2 in overtime on May 9 to finish a second straight 4-0 series win. The Hurricanes’ own conference-final announcement said Carolina “won all eight” games against Ottawa and Philadelphia and became the first team in NHL history to sweep each of its first two best-of-seven series on the way to a conference final. The team entered the playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference after a 53-22-7 regular season worth 113 points. (nhl.com) ### Which opponents did Carolina sweep? Ottawa was the first-round opponent. NHL.com’s Game 4 recap said Logan Stankoven scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and Sebastian Aho scored twice as Carolina beat the Senators 4-2 at Canadian Tire Centre to close the series. Philadelphia was next. NHL.com’s second-round series page lists four Carolina wins: 3-0 in Game 1, 3-2 in overtime in Game 2, 4-1 in Game 3 and 3-2 in overtime in Game 4. (nhl.com) That completed another four-game sweep and sent Carolina into the conference final without a loss. ### Why is this framed around the “current playoff format”? The NHL’s current four-round, best-of-seven playoff structure is the basis for the claim. (nhl.com) ESPN’s playoff preview described Carolina as “the first team with a four-game sweep in the first two rounds of a single Stanley Cup playoffs run” under that format, matching the league’s framing of the achievement. (nhl.com) The distinction matters because NHL postseason formats have changed over time. What Carolina did in 2026, as cited by the club and national outlets, is specific to the modern setup in which a team must win four best-of-seven rounds to claim the Stanley Cup. ### Who helped drive the run? Frederik Andersen started all four games against Ottawa and went 4-0 with a 1.10 goals-against average and a.955 save percentage, according to NHL.com’s second-round preview. (espn.com) Logan Stankoven scored in each game of that series, and Sebastian Aho had three first-round goals. Taylor Hall led Carolina with seven points in the first round, NHL.com said, and the team carried that momentum into the Philadelphia series. (nhl.com) By the time the conference final arrived, Carolina had built its run on balanced scoring and consecutive series-clinching wins on the road. ### What came next for Carolina? Montreal was Carolina’s next opponent in the Eastern Conference final. (nhl.com) The Hurricanes announced on May 18 that the series would open at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, and NHL.com’s conference-final schedule listed Game 1 for Thursday, May 21, with Game 2 set for Saturday, May 23. NHL.com’s updated schedule page now shows Montreal leading the series 1-0 after a 6-2 Game 1 win in Raleigh. (nhl.com) Game 2 is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 23, before the series shifts to Bell Centre in Montreal for Game 3 on Monday, May 25. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2)