Winners, losers from Stanley Cup playoffs: Hurricanes back in Cup Final after Canadiens rout

Thanks to the Carolina Hurricanes' 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night, the 2026 Stanley Cup Final is now officially set.

The Hurricanes clinched their first spot in the Stanley Cup Final since the 2005-06 season, and will now face the Vegas Golden Knights starting next week.

Here are some winners and losers from Friday's game. 

Friday's winners

The Carolina Hurricanes breaking through

This Hurricanes team has been one of the NHL's best since the start of the 2018-19 season. Between then and the 2024-25 season, they were third in the NHL in regular-season wins, sixth in postseason wins and had consistently advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs.

The one thing they never did was break through to the Stanley Cup Final, and every year they did not do it, there was a sense of disappointment that always followed them around.

Something was always missing.

There was always another level they could not reach.

They have shattered that narrative this postseason.

Not only are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since the 2005-06 season, they did so by going 12-1 through the first three rounds. Since the NHL went to four best-of-seven series in its playoff format, no team has ever had that good of a record going into the Final. 

Rod Brind'Amour, head coach, Carolina Hurricanes

It is fair to say that Brind'Amour is the king of North Carolina hockey. When the Hurricanes last reached the Final and won their only championship, Brind'Amour was the captain of the team.

Now he is the head coach leading a well-oiled machine.

He has a chance to bring a Stanley Cup to Raleigh as both a player and head coach. 

Taylor Hall's chance at joining special club

With his goal and two assists on Friday, Hall is now up to five goals, 11 assists and 16 total points in these playoffs.

It has to put him near the top of the Conn Smythe Trophy list for playoff MVP.

If he ends up getting there, he would then have an MVP and Conn Smythe Trophy in his career. Only 13 players in NHL history have both. 

Friday's losers

Goalie interference reviews

Goalie interference reviews were one of the NHL's hot-button topics all season, and it is not any better in the playoffs.

In fact, it might even be worse.

So much worse that it might not even be worth challenging.

Carolina's first goal of the game was allowed to stand, even following a goalie interference review, that seemed to be a pretty clear example of an offensive player interfering with a goalie.