Road to – The Hurricanes and Golden Knights are tied early in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, and the buzz around it feels deserved. Before we get swept up in Game 3, MISRYOUM looks back at the 14 playoff series that got them here—ranking them from least memorable to the ma
The puck drops again in Game 3 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. and you can feel it: this already has the pulse of something bigger than a typical two-games-in kind of moment. The Hurricanes and Golden Knights are tied. both games have been fantastic. and there’s that familiar sense that the next twist is always one hit away.
But when the postseason starts turning into “what happens next?” it’s easy to forget what it took to get here. So before anyone gets too comfortable with the spotlight. here’s a ranking of the 14 NHL playoff series that paved the way—working from worst to best. based on criteria that are simple enough to argue about and specific enough to matter: longer series over shorter ones. closer games over blowouts. and overtime when it shows up. Bad blood, controversy, and memorable moments always help. And expectations—sometimes they’re everything.
The writer behind the list also puts a marker down for this postseason in general: good, but not great. Maybe we haven’t seen the kind of series people will still be quoting a decade from now. Still, a few matchups came close. And if the Hurricanes and Golden Knights want to knock everything around with a final for the ages. they’ll have to earn it—because the road was already pretty loud.
14. Avalanche over Kings in four (first round)
Expectations: The Presidents’ Trophy winners earn a first-round bye against an overwhelmed opponent they could finish with ease. What we got: The Presidents’ Trophy winners earn a first-round bye against an overwhelmed opponent they could finish with just slightly less ease than we’d thought. Overtimes: One, a Colorado win in Game 2. Most memorable moment: The decisive Game 4. in which all of Colorado’s stars showed up to overwhelm a Kings team that already knew it was over. Bottom line: This series is already being remembered as more one-sided than it actually was; that third period in Game 4 was the only time the Avs really pulled away from a Kings squad that gave them all they had. It just wasn’t anywhere near enough. and there was never a moment where anyone felt like the Kings had a chance to win this.
13. Hurricanes over Flyers in four (second round)
Expectations: A heavy favorite taking on a feisty underdog who’d already surprised us once. What we got: Some close games, but not much in the way of surprises. Overtimes: Two, with Carolina winning in Games 2 and 4. Most memorable moment: Jackson Blake scoring the OT series-winner to finish the sweep. Bottom line: You have to give the Flyers credit for even getting this far. but I’m not sure they generated a single highlight during this mercifully short series.
12. Golden Knights over Avalanche in four (conference final)
Expectations: A strong Golden Knights team that seemed to be peaking at just the right moment would face a powerhouse that had rolled over everyone so far in a series stacked with star power. What we got: A hobbled Avs team that was nowhere near full power, and a stunning sweep. Overtimes: An inexcusable zero, the only one of these 14 series that’s true for. Most memorable moment: The third period of Game 3. with the Golden Knights finishing their comeback from down 3-0 as Nathan MacKinnon limped off with yet another Colorado injury. Bottom line: This series had its moments, and it certainly wasn’t the worst of the postseason. But in terms of meeting expectations, nothing fell short quite like this one.
11. Hurricanes over Canadiens in five (conference final) Expectations: The unstoppable force of a young team with destiny on its side vs. the immovable object of a veteran team with a perfect record but tons of emotional baggage. What we got: A five-game series with two overtimes that was somehow the most lopsided matchup of the entire postseason. Overtimes: Games 2 and 3, both Hurricanes wins. Most memorable moment: Andrei Svechnikov’s Game 3 OT winner
to end a game where Carolina outshot Montreal 39 to 13. As it turns out. that was the last time in the series that the Habs would feel like they had any sort of chance. Bottom line: Does the NHL have a conference final problem?. Gary Bettman loves to defend his playoff format by arguing that it artificially enhances the first round. He doesn’t say the “artificially” part out loud. but it’s implied; there are
only so many top-tier matchups to go around. after all. so if we’re intentionally frontloading them into the first round. then that’s going to come at a cost down the line.
Not counting the 2020-2021 season. where COVID forced everything to be done differently. Bettman’s preferred format hasn’t served up a Game 7 in the conference final since 2018. while there have been four sweeps and five five-gamers in that time. Then again. that’s a smallish sample size and there were some true bangers in the years right before. so the jury is still out. It’s worth wondering about, though.
10. Flyers over Penguins in six (first round) Expectations: A classic rivalry matchup featuring two surprise playoff teams. who’d whip up some bad blood before Sidney Crosby and friends moved on. What we got: Three quick Flyers wins to basically end the drama. two Penguins wins to rekindle a bit of it. then a fun Flyers OT win to end the series in six. But for the most part, the bad blood never really surfaced.
Overtimes: One, a 1-0 Flyers win in Game 6 to end it. Most memorable moment: Cam York’s series-winner wasn’t exactly one for the highlight reels. but it did set off an A+ celebration in Philly. Bottom line: This series is a good example of how sequence can matter. Re-order a few of the games and this one probably ends up feeling closer to classic status than it ever really did. It was fine. It just
wasn’t anything like the madness of 2012.
9. Hurricanes over Senators in four (first round)
Expectations: A sneaky good matchup pitting a Cup favorite against a wild-card team finally finding its game after a trying season. Somebody on the podcast even predicted the Senators would win the Metro, although I can’t remember who. What we got: Four close games, four Carolina wins and zero Brady Tkachuk points. Overtimes: One, a Carolina win in Game 2. Most memorable moment: The chaotic and confusing OT sequence that featured a goal. a review. a reversal and a penalty shot. Bottom line: A big disappointment at the time. although in hindsight. the Senators gave the Hurricanes as tough a challenge as anyone else in the East could manage.
8. Sabres over Bruins in six (first round) Expectations: A team that was written off after being terrible last season before posting 100 points faced a team that was written off after being terrible in mid-December before posting 109 points. because this league makes total sense. What we got: A series that fell well short of classic status, but had its share of fun moments. Overtimes: One, a Boston win to stay alive in Game
5. Most memorable moment: It came late in Game 1. with the Bruins up 2-0 and coasting before Tage Thompson and the Sabres flipped a switch and scored four times in seven minutes. Bottom line: This one was never quite as close as the scoreboard made it seem. and the Bruins only managed five goals in the last four games. But after a 15-year absence from the playoffs. this old-school Adams matchup was a fun
way to reintroduce the Sabres to postseason hockey.
7. Avalanche over Wild in five (second round)
Expectations: After their first-round bye. the Avs would get some real competition from a Wild team that had just flexed on the Stars. What we got: A disappointingly brief series with only one especially close final score. Overtimes: One, with the Avalanche ending it in Game 5 after coming back from down 3-0. Most memorable moment: Game 1—described as sheer madness. The writer says this has to go to the sheer madness that was Game 1. while the series was a bit of a dud. and argues it could be the single most entertaining game of the 2026 postseason. or at least the weirdest. Bottom line: Expectations were high coming in, and even higher after 15 goals in the opener. After that … meh. But Game 1 was one for the ages.
6. Ducks over Oilers in six (first round)
Expectations: An Oilers team facing a ton of pressure lucks into a matchup against a young team that’s just happy to be there. What we got: Connor McDavid playing through injury. terrible Edmonton goaltending. some very frustrated stars and a whole lot of tough questions after the Oilers’ shocking first-round exit. Overtimes: One. a Ducks win in Game 4 that gave them a 3-1 series lead and produced that “this is really happening” vibe. Most memorable moment: The OT goal, which needed replay review to confirm it had crossed the line. Bottom line: According to the standings, this wasn’t much of an upset. But given where each team was supposed to be in their contention window, it sure felt like one. And playoff upsets are undeniably fun … for everyone but the losing team.
5. Golden Knights over Ducks in six (second round)
Expectations: The young punks who aren’t supposed to be here take on the veteran contenders who’ve looked oddly vulnerable. What we got: A solid effort from the Ducks. and the Golden Knights serving notice that we could ignore the regular-season record. Overtimes: One, with the Golden Knights winning Game 5 in what was the series turning point. Most memorable moment: It should be Pavel Dorofeyev’s OT winner. but it might have to be Mitch Marner’s ridiculous goal to open Game 6. Bottom line: This one was reasonably good, while leaving room for future matchups between these two teams to top it.
4. Wild over Stars in six (first round)
Expectations: The unquestioned main event of the first round. one we’d known was coming just about all season long. Hate the playoff format all you want. but at least you can count on it to serve up a sure thing or two every year. What we got: A good series that never quite reached that classic status it seemed destined for. Overtimes: Two, with the teams splitting Games 3 and 4. Most memorable moment: The finale ended up being the Quinn Hughes statement game. as the best player in the series scored twice. including the third-period winner. Bottom line: It definitely had its moments. but this series not going seven after months of hype was a criminal bait-and-switch by the hockey gods.
3. Golden Knights over Mammoth in six (first round) Expectations: After the Golden Knights had pulled out of a season-long nosedive in just enough time to finish first in the Pacific pillow fight. the Mammoth felt like a tricky pick to become the league’s first crossover division champ. What we got: A solid little series that saw the Knights on the ropes early before recovering to win in six. Overtimes: Two, with the Golden Knights
winning Games 4 and 5 to take control of the series. Most memorable moment: At the time, probably Brett Howden’s double-OT winner in Game 5, a rare sudden-death shorty. But the writer argues that their Game 4 win to avoid going down 3-1 may have been the turning point—for this series and for the entire postseason. Bottom line: When a team goes to the final. their first-round series often sinks to the lower regions of
our collective memory. But this was a fun matchup with plenty of twists and turns.
2. Canadiens over Sabres in seven (second round)
Expectations: A lovable collection of youngsters and veterans who weren’t supposed to be here. playing for their rabid fans while trying to stake their claim as the Atlantic’s new powerhouse against … um. also that. What we got: A weirdly high number of blowouts that somehow still added up to the closest series of the second round. Overtimes: Just one, but it came in Game 7. Most memorable moment: Tough call. but the writer says to go with this—without naming a specific moment in that line. Bottom line: One criticism of this year’s postseason is that it’s been woefully short on Game 7 showdowns. We can at least be grateful to the Canadiens. who took it upon themselves to make sure we had at least a few to chew on.
Speaking of which …
1. Canadiens over Lightning in seven (first round)
Expectations: A classic battle between an up-and-coming team and a grizzled contender. with some bad blood thrown into the mix. What we got: All that and more. in a ridiculously close series in which every game was tied in the third period. Overtimes: A playoff-leading four, split between the two teams. Most memorable moment: Alex Newhook’s fluky game-winner in Game 7. one of only nine shots the Habs managed in the entire game. Bottom line: An instant classic that more than lived up to the hype. It’s too bad Nikita Kucherov got called back to his home planet after Game 4; he would have loved this series.
The sequence of these series tells a consistent story: when the postseason is at its best, it’s never just one thing—sometimes it’s a comeback, sometimes it’s a single night that turns everything, and sometimes it’s the brutal math of expectations collapsing in real time.
Now the spotlight shifts. The Hurricanes and Golden Knights are tied with the Stanley Cup Final still early enough that “classic” could mean anything from a single overtime goal to the kind of momentum you feel before you even see the replay.
2026 Stanley Cup Final Hurricanes Golden Knights NHL playoffs series ranking overtime Jackson Blake Andrei Svechnikov Quinn Hughes