Hurricanes: Hosting the Maple Leafs to End a 17-Year Drought in the Third Round

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Hurricanes: Hosting the Maple Leafs to End a 17-Year Drought in the Third Round
Credit: Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images

Ahh, the playoffs…

In recent years, we've been laughing at the Maple Leafs' playoff failures. But we have to talk about what Carolina has been doing in the third round for the past 17 years.

Why? Because the Habs and the Hurricanes are going to face off in the third round, obviously.

In 2009, the Hurricanes were swept by the Penguins. In 2019, it was the Bruins who swept them. In 2023, the Panthers also won in four games.

In 2025, a big improvement: the Canes lost… in five games. They won Game 4.

That means that in their last four third-round appearances (since their 2006 Stanley Cup win), the Hurricanes have a 1-16 record. That's not great.

Will the long break help the 2026 Hurricanes? It's doubtful, even if some are optimistic.

We're not saying the Canadiens are invincible in the third round. That said, they haven't had a 1-16 record since 2009. That sure looks like a curse in Carolina.

The Habs lost in five games in 2010, in six in 2014, and won in six in 2021. That gives them a 7-10 record, in fact.

Since the Canadiens aren't dwelling on their recent third-round failures and have won all three games this season against the Canes, the Carolina team needs some help.

And to do that, social media managers have turned to Maple Leafs fans.

Inviting Toronto fans to join the party is an excellent strategy. After all, as we established at the beginning of this article, they're winners at heart. #OrNot

Except when their Zamboni driver is involved—winning in Toronto isn't easy…


In a nutshell

– Note.

– The Habs' first-round pick will be between the 28th and 31st overall.

– Well done.

– Alex Newhook is a fighter. He never gave up.

– Interesting.

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