Three series wrapped. One Game 7 still to come.
The NHL Conference Semifinals gave us a dominant machine, a dramatic overtime finish, a playoff experience lesson, and one of the more stunning blowouts of the postseason. Here is where the second round stood as of Saturday, May 16.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens - Game 7
Montreal had the building. Montreal had the opportunity. Montreal gave up eight goals.
The Canadiens entered Game 6 at home with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to close it out in front of their own crowd. What followed was one of the worst performances a team can put in at the worst possible moment. Buffalo came into the Bell Centre and won 8-3, turning a potential series clincher into an embarrassment. Montreal was not just beaten. It was overrun. The building that was supposed to carry the Canadiens to the Eastern Conference Final went quiet early and stayed there.
Now it is Game 7, in Buffalo. The Sabres have all the momentum. Montreal has to find something, quickly, that looked completely absent in Game 6. Game 7s are their own animal, and the Canadiens are still dangerous enough to steal one on the road. But after a performance like that, it is very hard to know which Montreal team is about to show up.
My pick was Montreal to advance. After Game 6, I am a lot less confident in that.
Las Vegas Golden Knights def. Anaheim Ducks, 4-2
Anaheim swept Vegas in the regular season. The playoffs are a different sport.
This was a competitive series throughout. The Ducks are a young, energetic team that gave the Golden Knights real problems for stretches. But playoff experience is real, and Vegas has it in abundance. When the series tightened and the moments got bigger, the Golden Knights kept finding ways.
Game 6 made the point clearly. Vegas won 5-1 in Anaheim to close the series, and Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice. That is what experienced teams do. They do not just survive close series. They know how to end them.
The regular-season sweep was a data point. Six games in May is the real information. Vegas is through, and the Ducks should carry real confidence into next season from how they competed in this one.
Carolina Hurricanes def. Philadelphia Flyers, 4-0
Carolina has now swept two consecutive series. It has not played a close series in weeks. And it has been sitting and waiting while everyone else fights to get out of the second round.
The Hurricanes were a machine against Philadelphia. They did not give the Flyers room to breathe, controlled the pace from the first period of Game 1, and never let it become a series. It was impressive, clinical, and a little frightening if you are the team that has to play them next.
The one legitimate question hanging over Carolina right now is rust. They have been rested for a while. When you have not played a competitive game in that long, the sharpness that made you look this good can take time to come back. It is not a guarantee they come out flying whenever the Eastern Conference Final begins, and depending on how the Sabres-Canadiens series goes, they may be waiting even longer.
Colorado Avalanche def. Minnesota Wild, 4-1
The Avalanche were the better team throughout this series, and the final margin of 4-1 reflects that. But the Wild had their moments, and the way it ended was as good a finish as you could ask for.
Colorado went into Game 5 needing one win and found itself down 3-0 before rallying to force overtime and close out the series with a 4-3 OT win. Brett Kulak scored the overtime winner, and that is the kind of closeout goal teams remember. Being down three goals in a potential elimination game and still coming back to win in overtime is not something most teams can do. The Avalanche did it. That kind of resilience matters heading into the conference finals.
Minnesota fought through this series even when the outcome was not in its favor. It made Colorado earn it right up until the final buzzer.
What Comes Next
Three conference finals spots are set. Carolina is waiting in the East. Vegas and Colorado are set in the West.
The only unresolved business is Sabres-Canadiens Game 7 on Monday, May 18 in Buffalo. The Sabres have the momentum, the confidence, and the memory of an 8-3 demolition in Game 6. Montreal has the burden of recovering from it.
After that, the conference finals begin, and Carolina, rested and dangerous, will be there waiting.
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