Canadiens’ Josh Anderson scouts Hurricanes ahead of East Final

The Montreal Canadiens are in the midst of an incredible postseason run in 2025-26, prevailing in back-to-back one-goal Game 7’s to set up a date with the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.

Although they were outplayed in both winner-take-all contests — by the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1 and Buffalo Sabres in Round 2 — they’re officially one of the last four standing in the National Hockey League as the storybook campaign continues.

Things don’t get any easier against a Canes team that is not only a perfect 8-0 in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but one that has had over a week off after sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers last Saturday.

“They’re a really good team,” Habs forward Josh Anderson said shortly after eliminating the Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday, per NHL.com.

“They’re fast, they’re quick. They’re going to be kind of like Buffalo — they like to move the puck, they like rush games. I’m sure we’re going to watch some video in the next 24 hours and move on. So, yeah, so enjoy this for tonight, and then move on tomorrow.”

Although they’ll come into the series as underdogs, the Canadiens were 3-0 against the Hurricanes in the 2025-26 regular season, and are proving now that they deserve to be taken seriously ahead of their first Eastern Conference Final game in five years.

Jakub Dobes was between the pipes for all three of those tilts, sporting a 2.67 goals-against average and .922 save percentage, and allowing eight goals on 103 shots.

Carolina and Montreal have played twice in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the Hurricanes winning each. They last played in 2006, a six-game series in the Conference Quarterfinals that was part of Carolina’s march to a Stanley Cup championship.

The Canadiens will be hoping for better fortune a full two decades later, and although the climb is an uphill one, this should be another terrific series to determine the winner of the Eastern Conference in 2026.

Game 1 is set for Thursday night at what promises to be a spirited Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Puck is set to drop just past 8:00 p.m. ET between the cross-divisional foes.