Schedule and 2025-26 Results
Regular Season Records: Carolina 53-22-7=113pts, Montreal 48-24-10=106pts
Game 1 on Thursday, 21 May: Montreal wins at Carolina, 6-goals-2
Game 2 on Saturday, 23 May: Montreal loses at Carolina, 3-goals-2(OT)
Game 3 on Monday, 25 May: Carolina at Montreal
Game 4 on Wednesday, 27 May: Carolina at Montreal
Game 5 on Friday, 29 May: Montreal at Carolina
Game 6* on Sunday, 31 May: Carolina at Montreal
Game 7* on Tuesday, 02 June: Montreal at Carolina
* if needed

HISTORICAL VICTORY PROBABILITIES: Tied 1-game-all @ HH:
Ignoring win order; considering site order: The team tied 1-game-all with site order HH (Carolina) has the following best-of-7 playoff series and games record through the 2026 NBA/NHL Quarterfinals round:
series record, all best-of-7 sports, all rounds: 413-310 (.571)
series record, all best-of-7 sports, Semifinals round: 85-76 (.528)
series record, NHL only, all rounds: 201-170 (.542)
series record, NHL only, Semifinals round: 38-39 (.494)
Game 3 record, all best-of-7 sports, all rounds: 358-365 (.495)
Game 3 record, all best-of-7 sports, Semifinals round: 75-86 (.466)
Game 3 record, NHL only, all rounds: 191-180 (.515)
Game 3 record, NHL only, Semifinals round: 38-39 (.494)
These records are drawn from the applicable 1640 best-of-7 NHL, NBA, and MLB series played through the 2026 NBA/NHL Quarterfinals round. Note in general that the greater the number of games or series fitting a particular situation, the greater the significance of the corresponding winning fraction: For example, 0.800 is far more likely to come closer to the true winning fraction in a given situation when the corresponding win-loss record is 400-100 rather than 4-1.

HISTORICAL VICTORY PROBABILITIES: Tied LW:
Considering win order; ignoring site order: The team tied LW irrespective of site order (Carolina) has the following best-of-7 playoff series and games record through the 2026 NBA/NHL Quarterfinals round:
series record, all best-of-7 sports, all rounds: 382-376 (.504)
series record, all best-of-7 sports, Semifinals round: 91-83 (.523)
series record, NHL only, all rounds: 196-180 (.521)
series record, NHL only, Semifinals round: 46-34 (.575)
Game 3 record, all best-of-7 sports, all rounds: 354-404 (.467)
Game 3 record, all best-of-7 sports, Semifinals round: 85-89 (.489)
Game 3 record, NHL only, all rounds: 188-188 (.500)
Game 3 record, NHL only, Semifinals round: 42-38 (.525)
These records are drawn from the applicable 1640 best-of-7 NHL, NBA, and MLB series played through the 2026 NBA/NHL Quarterfinals round. Note in general that the greater the number of games or series fitting a particular situation, the greater the significance of the corresponding winning fraction: For example, 0.800 is far more likely to come closer to the true winning fraction in a given situation when the corresponding win-loss record is 400-100 rather than 4-1.

HISTORICAL VICTORY PROBABILITIES: Tied LW @ HH:
Considering win order; considering site order: The team tied LW with site order HH (Carolina) has the following best-of-7 playoff series and games record through the 2026 NBA/NHL Quarterfinals round:
series record, all best-of-7 sports, all rounds: 210-150 (.583)
series record, all best-of-7 sports, Semifinals round: 46-35 (.568)
series record, NHL only, all rounds: 104-79 (.568)
series record, NHL only, Semifinals round: 22-16 (.579)
Game 3 record, all best-of-7 sports, all rounds: 168-192 (.467)
Game 3 record, all best-of-7 sports, Semifinals round: 37-44 (.457)
Game 3 record, NHL only, all rounds: 94-89 (.514)
Game 3 record, NHL only, Semifinals round: 19-19 (.500)
These records are drawn from the applicable 1640 best-of-7 NHL, NBA, and MLB series played through the 2026 NBA/NHL Quarterfinals round. Note in general that the greater the number of games or series fitting a particular situation, the greater the significance of the corresponding winning fraction: For example, 0.800 is far more likely to come closer to the true winning fraction in a given situation when the corresponding win-loss record is 400-100 rather than 4-1.

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 2: The Carolina Hurricanes hosted and outscored the Montreal Canadiens 3-goals-2(OT) to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1629 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 6-3 and a Game 3 record of 4-5, while the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 26-19 (with an active four-series winning streak) and a Game 3 record of 29-16. Tied LW @ HH in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Carolina Hurricanes have a 2-1 series record. Tied WL @ VV in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Montreal Canadiens have a perfect 7-0 series record.

After Game 1: The Montreal Canadiens visited and bested the Carolina Hurricanes 6-goals-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1629 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 64-11 (with an active six-series winning streak) and a Game 2 record of 56-19. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 6-9 (with an active six-series losing streak) and a Game 2 record of 6-9 (with an active four-Game 2 losing streak). Of the eleven series losses by the Montreal Canadiens in the wake of a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil lead, one was to the Carolina Hurricanes (in series 958, in the 2006 NHL Preliminary round; Carolina would go on to win the 2006 NHL championship). In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff series beginning in 1939, inclusive, teams such as the Montreal Canadiens in series 1629 which win Game 1 by four goals on the road had a 7-8 (.467) series record.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2025-26 NHL regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes finished seven points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens. From 1939 through the 2026 NHL Quarterfinals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by seven regular-season points, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 22-17 (.564) in those series against those opponents. Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1629 is the 32nd best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the Carolina Hurricanes, and the 127th for the Montreal Canadiens. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Carolina Hurricanes have an all-rounds series record of 20-11, a Semifinals-round series record of 2-4 (with an active four-Semifinals series losing streak), and a Game 1 record of 16-15, while the Montreal Canadiens have an all-rounds series record of 82-44, a Semifinals-round series record of 28-13, and a Game 1 record of 75-51. Series 1629 is the third best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens. Carolina defeated Montreal in both of their previous two best-of-7 NHL playoff series meetings (in series 856 in the 2002 NHL Quarterfinals; in series 958 in the 2006 NHL Preliminary round - in each case, Carolina reached the NHL Finals, winning the NHL championship in 2006). In their last ten best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Carolina Hurricanes have seen their Game 1 outcome presage their series outcome (seven wins, three losses).