Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracket
It’s Day 4 of the conference finals round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights have battled hard through two games in the Western Conference finals, and now it’s time for the second matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes out east.
Game 1 was a bit lopsided on the scoreboard, as the Habs won 6-2. But the underlying numbers painted a different picture — which is good for those who want a long series. We’re on to Game 2, with the Canes hoping they can even things up before the series shifts to la belle province for games 3 and 4.
Here’s a look at key stats to know ahead of Saturday’s game — along with a best bet — as well as highlights from Friday and updated playoff stats leaders.
Read more:
Full schedule
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
Experts’ picks
Conference finals mega-preview
Offseason guide for eliminated teams
Saturday’s schedule
Montreal Canadiens at Carolina Hurricanes
Game 2, 7 p.m. ET (TNT) | MTL leads 1-0
The Canadiens are now 7-2 on the road this postseason, tying the franchise record for road wins in a single playoff year (1989 and 2021). The Hurricanes are 1-17 in their past 18 conference finals games dating back to 2009.
In Stanley Cup playoff history, the winner of Game 1 has gone on to have a 545-254 series record, including a 10-2 record in the 2026 playoffs to this point.
Juraj Slafkovsky had two goals and an assist in Game 1, becoming the first Canadien with at least three games with three points in a single postseason since Guy Lafleur (who had four) in 1979.
Teammate Nick Suzuki added three assists in the Game 1 win, and now has points in each of his nine road games this postseason. He’s the fifth player in Stanley Cup playoff history with points in nine or more road games to start a postseason.
In the first two rounds of the playoffs, Carolina’s Frederik Andersen allowed 10 goals on 201 shots (.950 save percentage) as the Hurricanes won eight straight. In Game…
