Sebastian Aho powers Hurricanes to 3-1 East Final lead over Canadiens

The Carolina Hurricanes were dominated in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals by the Montreal Canadiens. However, that is now a distant, albeit unpleasant, memory. Sebastian Aho sparked the Hurricanes to a win in Game 4 on the road. As a result, his team is just one more win from the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.

Aho began the scoring with a franchise-record-breaking power play goal in the first period. Later in the first, captain Jordan Staal and young star Logan Stankoven added goals of their own to aid in the effort. Andrei Svechnikov added an empty net goal in the third to cap it all off. They claimed a big 4-0 win in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the East Final.

It’s been a tremendous turnaround for Rod Brind’Amour’s group. The Hurricanes entered this series having played just eight games since mid-April. The rust was certainly evident in Game 1, but it did not take the Canes long to knock the rust off.

Game 4 certainly showcased the gap in quality between the teams. Carolina dominated in nearly every facet. They held Montreal to less than 20 shots on goal for the third straight game. The Hurricanes are pouncing on every loose puck and forcing Montreal’s best players to make careless mistakes with the puck.

The Canadiens aren’t entirely out of this series. However, the Hurricanes have them on the ropes. Montreal has been a great team on the road. But Carolina will bring everything they have on Friday night in Game 5 when they step onto the ice in front of their home fans at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The post Sebastian Aho powers Hurricanes to 3-1 East Final lead over Canadiens appeared first on ClutchPoints.