Hurricanes Finally Get Over the Hump and Win Stanley Cup

The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions, and what is notable about reaching the mountaintop now is that this is a team that has been good enough to win it all over the past half-decade. They have been knocking on the door for several years, but this is finally the one in which they got over the hump.

And it was a close series throughout, but Carolina was able to make a late strong push and finish this thing off in six games, winning 3-0 in the clinching contest. It never felt like a series that would be easy one way or the other, but taking care of business in Game 6 really proved that the Hurricanes were the better team.

It was also a really tough path along the way. While the Vegas Golden Knights were not necessarily the favorite to be in the Stanley Cup Final, they proved they were the hottest team in the NHL coming out of the Western Conference, dominating the Colorado Avalanche and sweeping them despite Colorado being viewed as the favorite to win it all. Vegas had quite a few players rise to the occasion and play better than they had all season.

But Carolina stayed composed and ready for the moment, showcased its depth across every line, and Jordan Staal ultimately won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup playoff MVP and became the oldest player ever to win it. He came up big, flashed his veteran experience, and got it done.

And so this is bigger than just a championship. This is Carolina validating years of contention and finally turning it into a title. They're now the team to beat and are expected to be just as good next season as reigning champs.