Schedule and 2002 Results
Regular Season Records: Carolina 35-26-16-5=91pts, Montreal 36-31-12-3=87pts
Game 1 on Friday, 3 May: Mon. loses at Car., 2-goals-nil
Game 2 on Sunday, 5 May: Mon. wins at Car., 4-goals-1
Game 3 on Tuesday, 7 May: Car. loses at Mon., 2-goals-1 (OT)
Game 4 on Thursday, 9 May: Car. wins at Mon., 4-goals-3 (OT)
Game 5 on Sunday, 12 May: Mon. loses at Car., 5-goals-1
Game 6 on Monday, 13 May: Car. wins at Mon., 8-goals-2

SERIES NOTES: Post Game 6 assessment: Carolina visits and defeats Montreal 8-goals-2 to win their series 4-games-2. In best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 6 play, the Carolina Hurricanes record is 1-0 (1-0 on the road), while the Montreal Canadiens record is 5-6 (3-2 on Montreal ice). With the series victory, the Carolina Hurricanes now sport a best-of-7 NHL playoff series record of 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the NHL Quarterfinals. The Hurricanes' predecessor franchise, the Hartford Whalers, had an MLB/NBA/NHL-worst 0-7 series record and an 0-1 record in the NHL Quarterfinals. The Montreal Canadiens now have a best-of-7 NHL playoff series record of 70-31 and a 14-10 series record in the NHL Quarterfinals. Carolina wins the series WLLWWW. The Hurricanes become the 21st team overall to post that win order, the 17th to do so in the NHL, and the seventh to do so in the NHL Quarterfinals. Ironically, the last MLB, NBA, or NHL team to win a best-of-7 series WLLWWW was the Boston Bruins -- in best-of-7 series 775 (a 1999 Preliminary round series) vs. ... the Carolina Hurricanes. Post Game 5 assessment: With its 5-goals-1 victory over Montreal, Carolina improves its best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 5 record to 2-1 (1-1 at home), while that for Montreal falls to 47-29 (10-14 on the road). When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, Carolina has a 1-0 series record, with the win coming over New Jersey in the previous round of the 2002 NHL Playoffs. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, Montreal has a 4-17 series record. Post Game 4 assessment: Carolina trailed Montreal in Montreal 3-goals-nil early in the third period, but scored at 3:57, 12:43, and 19:19 of the third period to tie the game at three-goals-all, and scored at 3:14 of overtime to secure the 4-goals-3 overtime victory. In best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 (the first year) through 2001 (2455 games in 441 series), teams trailing by three goals 43:56 into the game had a 7-317 (.022) overall game record and a 1-208 (.005) road game record (the sole road win occurred in series 755, in which the St. Louis Blues won Game 3 of their 1998 Prelim-round series in Los Angeles vs. the Kings), teams trailing by two goals 52:42 into the game had a 9-566 (.016) overall game record and a 2-335 (.006) road game record, and teams trailing by one goal 59:18 into the game had a 9-659 (.013) overall game record and a 5-363 (.014) road game record. Carolina improves its best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 4 record to 1-0 (1-0 on the road); Montreal's best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 4 record falls to 13-11 (2-5 at home). When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 series, Carolina sports a 1-1 series record, while that for Montreal is 23-15. Post Game 3 assessment: Montreal posts a 2-goals-1 overtime win to take a 2-games-1 series lead. With the win, Montreal improves its best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 3 record to 18-6 (4-3 at home), while that for Carolina becomes 0-1 (0-1 on the road). Those 18 wins by Montreal are an NBA/NHL high in the category of best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 3 overall wins. When Montreal holds a 2-games-1 lead, its series record is 36-7 (.837); the Hurricanes are facing a 2-games-1 deficit for the first time since moving to Carolina. Post Game 2 assessment: With its 4-goals-1 win in Carolina, Montreal improves its best-of-7 Qtrs Game 2 record to 15-9 (4-3 on the road), while that for the Hurricanes falls to 0-1 (overall and on home ice). When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 series, Montreal has a 19-14 series record, while that for Carolina is 0-1. In NHL best-of-7 play from 1939 through the 2002 Preliminary round, teams winning Game 1 by two goals and losing Game 2 by three (as Carolina has done) have a 4-6 series record. Post Game 1 assessment: With its 2-goals-nil loss, Montreal's best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 1 record falls to 11-13 (and to an NHL-worst 0-7 on the road), while Carolina's starts as 1-0 (1-0 at home). The predecessor franchise to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Hartford Whalers, had a 1-0 record (0-0 at home) in best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 1 play. The 13 best-of-7 Qtrs-round Game 1 losses tie the Canadiens with St. Louis for an NBA/NHL worst in that category. Upon starting a best-of-7 NHL playoff series down 1-game-nil, Montreal's franchise series record (all rounds) is 14-22 (.389); upon starting a best-of-7 NHL playoff series up 1-game-nil, Carolina's franchise series record (plus that of Hartford, all rounds) is 1-4. In best-of-7 NHL series from 1939 through the 2002 Preliminary round, teams posting a 2-goals-nil Game 1 win own a 10-10 series record. Pre-series assessment: In the 2001-02 regular season, Carolina finished with 4 more regular-season points than Montreal. From 1939 through the 2002 NHL Preliminary round, when NHL best-of-7 opponents were separated by 4 regular-season points, the team with the better regular-season record has gone on to post a 7-8 (.467) best-of-7 series record in that series against that opponent.