The Carolina Hurricanes are Eastern Conference champions after their 6-1 victory in Game 5, dominating the Montreal Canadiens from the opening faceoff.
The Hurricanes will play for the Stanley Cup for the first time since winning it in 2006, opening the championship series against the Vegas Golden Knights at home Tuesday night (8 p.m. ET, ABC).
Here are the Game 5 grades and a look ahead for Carolina and Montreal.
Carolina Hurricanes
Grade: A+
The Canadiens' one clear path to extending this series was if the Hurricanes weren't ready for the moment. Carolina was one win from the Stanley Cup Final and playing at home. Maybe the emotions would be too overwhelming. Maybe the Canadiens could take advantage of those nerves.
Instead, the Hurricanes were ready from the opening faceoff, when Jackson Blake barely missed a goal on a 2-on-1. Taylor Hall opened the scoring at 9:17, when Logan Stankoven landed on goalie Jakub Dobes in a way that the NHL Situation Room didn't believe impeded him after a Montreal coach's challenge. Stankoven left no doubt on his goal at 15:12, ripping a shot past Dobes. Just 1:40 later, it was 3-0 as William Carrier hit Eric Robinson with a 180-foot pass for a breakaway. The Canes outshot Montreal 15-4 in the first, proving they were ready for the moment.
Goals by Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere in the second period were an exclamation point on a statement win. For the first time in 20 years, the Hurricanes have won the Eastern Conference title. For the first time ever, a team coached by Rod Brind'Amour will play for the Stanley Cup.
Montreal Canadiens
Grade: D-
We can't fail them. The effort was there, including the most shots they registered in a period (11) since the second period of Game 1, their only victory in the Eastern Conference finals. But Montreal was outcoached and outplayed by the Hurricanes for the third straight game and effectively was eliminated from the playoffs in the first 20 minutes of Game 5.
But what a run. Two Game 7 wins sent a young Montreal team to the conference final. Before running into the Carolina buzzsaw, players such as Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield and especially Jakub Dobes had great showings.
Did the Canadiens want the season to end with moments such as the Hurricanes' fans mocking the Bell Centre's "ole!" chant while trailing by five goals in the third period? Of course not. But in a postseason with its share of crushing flameouts from alleged Stanley Cup contenders, Montreal lost to a superior team. And maybe, sometime soon, the Habs will use the lessons from this postseason to become the superior team.
Big questions for Hurricanes and Canadiens
Can the Canes be stopped?
The Carolina Hurricanes were arguably two bad periods in Game 1 -- without question a symptom of their 11-day playoff layoff, the longest in the NHL in 107 years -- from sweeping all three series in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Carolina dismantled the Canadiens over the last three games, dominating a team that eliminated the Lightning and Sabres.
Every line is clicking. Every defensive pairing helped limit Montreal's shot attempts and shots on goal in front of Frederik Andersen, who is having the most statistically impressive playoff run of his career despite the light workload.
Many fans and pundits will wonder whether Carolina can find a way to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights, who swept the President's Trophy winner out of the playoffs in the West. The real question might be whether the Golden Knights can find a way to stop the juggernaut Hurricanes.
Which center will they overpay to acquire?
The Canadiens are on a time-honored journey for a young contender. Make the playoffs unexpectedly one year. Do it again, only this time, gain some confidence with success before ultimately getting your teeth kicked in by a better team. The Canadiens will feel the embarrassment and the anger of this five-game elimination and be better for it.
But they won't contend for the Stanley Cup unless they upgrade their center depth. That much is glaringly clear after this series. Jake Evans had two assists in five games. Phillip Danault was more productive (1 goal, 3 assists in 5 games) but did nothing in the last three games while his line cratered analytically. The Canadiens have the assets to make a big move for a veteran center who can support Nick Suzuki. Whether it's a player such as Vincent Trocheck of the Rangers or a bigger name, that's the most pressing need.