The series against the CH was the biggest mental test for the Hurricanes

Mathis Therrien
The series against the CH was the biggest mental test for the Hurricanes
Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes lost only three games throughout their playoff run to the Stanley Cup, which might lead one to believe they really had it easy.

Well, the Canes' 16-3 record doesn't really tell the whole story.

In fact, Rod Brind'Amour's team had to overcome far more challenges and obstacles than people realize, especially against the Montreal Canadiens in the conference finals.

According to Taylor Hall, speaking on the OverDrive radio show, that conference final against the Montreal Canadiens was the biggest mental test for the entire Hurricanes team.

As he explains in the clip, making it back to the conference finals was a huge source of stress for Carolina, given that they had been eliminated at that stage of the playoffs for several seasons in a row.

The conference finals had become a bit like the first round for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

So there was a huge amount of anxiety surrounding the conference finals, and let's just say the Montreal Canadiens didn't exactly help ease that stress.

As Taylor Hall himself explains, the stinging 6–2 loss in Game 1 really hurt the Hurricanes, as they had to mentally regroup to avoid succumbing to complete anxiety.

The next two games went into overtime, which also didn't help the Canes' stress levels, but once they won those two games, they got back on track, and in the Finals against Vegas, they were fully in control of their emotions.

The Montreal Canadiens were therefore the biggest mental test for the Hurricanes, and so, even though overall this series will be remembered as a Canes domination, the Habs really gave Carolina a run for their money.


In a Nutshell

– Unbelievable.

– Stay tuned.

– Well done.

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