Stanley Cup Final primer: Carolina Hurricanes

The GIST: Six goals from six different Canes helped Carolina clinch the Eastern Conference crown in Friday’s 6–1 Game 5 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Now proud owners of the Prince of Wales trophy — but of course never touching it — the Canes are hoping to leave their prints all over some different hardware, the Stanley Cup.

▶️ How they got here: The Hurricanes have been, ahem, a force of nature throughout the playoffs, sweeping the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers in the first and second rounds, respectively. They went on to drop just one game to the Canadiens, following an 11-day break between series, and notably were 5-0 in overtime games this postseason. Pressure? What pressure?

❤️ Defenseman K’Andre Miller finally found a home in Carolina: After a tough start to his career, the 2018 first-round draft pick has blossomed into a top-tier defenseman and leads all Canes blueliners in scoring this postseason. Taking it all in.

☝️ One more thing: Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour is synonymous with Carolina hockey, having coached or played in 98 of the franchise’s 100 playoff games. The Rodfather played for the Hurricanes when they won the Stanley Cup in 2006 — 20 years later, he’s behind the bench with all the pieces to help the Canes bring a second trophy home.