:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72285598/1489305688.0.jpg "NHL playoff history: When was last time Hurricanes were in Eastern Conference Final? Record, appearances, more")
The Carolina Hurricanes are heading to the NHL Eastern Conference Final and a matchup with the Florida Panthers. This will be the team's fifth appearance in the Conference Finals since the franchise moved to Raleigh, North Carolina ahead of the 1997-98 season. They enter with a 2-2 record so far, including two consecutive series losses when appearing in the conference finals. The last time Carolina made this stage of the playoffs was in the 2018-19 season when the Boston Bruins swept them.
The Hurricanes finished the regular season with a 52-21-9 record and 113 points atop the Metropolitan Division. They had the second-best record in the Eastern Conference behind the historic season of the Bruins. Carolina played Florida three times during the regular season. They dropped the first matchup 3-0 on the road but then picked up a 4-0 shutout at home in the rematch. The third game was actually the Hurricanes' final game of the season, and they picked up a huge 6-4 victory on the road.
The Eastern Conference Final will start on Thursday, May 18. Carolina is the favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. They have -135 odds, making Florida the underdog at +115.