Hurricanes aim to break through Eastern Conference Final in Game 5 against Canadiens

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes have put themselves in position to bury the storyline about hitting that same ol' Eastern Conference Final roadblock.

Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Eric Robinson scored in a dominating first period, then Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere added second-period goals that pushed the Hurricanes to a 5-0 lead over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night in Game 5, with a win set to push the Eastern Conference's top seed to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in two decades.

The Hurricanes swept through the first two rounds and have won the last three games in the series, the last being Wednesday's 4-0 road win that had them in complete control and staying on a smothering game. And Game 5 picked right up where that left off, with the Hurricanes taking a 15-4 edge in shots on goal while steadily pinning the Canadiens in their own end and attacking Jakub Dobes in net.

Hall struck first by finishing a feed from Logan Stankoven, who had crashed into Dobes on the left side. The Canadiens challenged the call for goaltender interference, but officials determined after a replay review that it should stand.

Hall returned the favor by feeding Stankoven from behind the net for a score on the right side. And late in the period, William Carrier sent a high-flip from deep in his own end to feed Robinson, who charged across the blue line to beat Mike Matheson to the puck and slip it underneath Dobes for the 3-0 lead that sent a buzzing home crowd into yet another roar.

Blake scored by skating in to clean up a loose rebound when Dobes stopped a breakaway for Hall, while Gostisbehere finished a power-play feed from Seth Jarvis near the crease for the 5-0 lead.

The Hurricanes entered this series having gone 1-12 in the Eastern Conference Final in their eight-year postseason run under coach Rod Brind'Amour, falling in sweeps to Boston in 2019 and Florida in 2023 before losing in five games to the Panthers in last year's rematch.

But after regrouping from the Game 1 debacle, the Hurricanes had taken control of the series from the young and skilled Canadiens — who had arrived at this round ahead of schedcule — to put themselves on the brink of earning a date with the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.

The last time the Hurricanes were in that round? Brind'Amour was the captain on a team that hoisted the Cup in a seven-game series against Edmonton in 2006.

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Carolina Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven (22) controls the puck with Montreal Canadiens' Alexandre Carrier (45) nearby during the first period in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

The puck bounces between Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) and Jaccob Slavin (74) with Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield (13) nearby during the first period in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Taylor Hall celebrates after his goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven (22) celebrates his goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes players celebrate after a goal by Eric Robinson as Montreal Canadiens' Mike Matheson (8) skates by during the first period in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes players celebrate after a goal by Nikolaj Ehlers as Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) returns to the net during the second period in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

NEW YORK (AP) — Bobby Valentine was just trying to keep things loose — and perhaps save his job — when he donned a makeshift disguise and returned to the New York Mets' dugout after being ejected from a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 9, 1999.

It turned into a defining moment, maybe even the most memorable of his 40-plus years in baseball.

On the eve of his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame, Valentine reveled in that clandestine act Friday night when the former manager again wore sunglasses and a fake mustache while throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to a similarly disguised Mr. Met.

The 76-year-old Valentine, who will be honored Saturday alongside ex-Mets teammate Lee Mazzilli, emerged from the New York dugout and received a warm hand from a Citi Field crowd that included fans already adorned in the ballpark giveaway — sunglasses and a fake mustache.

Valentine moved a few steps in front of the mound and tossed a pitch to the team mascot, whose hat read: Not Mr. Met.

Moments later, local children from John Lewis Childs grammar school on Long Island sang the national anthem — with several of them wearing fake mustaches. Another group of kids in disguise then pushed a button to activate the Home Run Apple beyond the center-field fence.

“Great memories for me,” Valentine said through vice president of alumni public relations and team historian Jay Horwitz. “At the time I did the mustache, we were struggling and I wanted to let the guys know I was behind them.”

Valentine donned the disguise — using eye black to make the mustache — three days after general manager Steve Phillips fired three New York coaches. Valentine responded by saying the Mets, who were 27-28 at the time of the dismissals, should fire him if the team didn’t go 40-15 over its next 55 games.

The Mets won their next three and were locked in a tie game with Toronto when Valentine got tossed for arguing a catcher’s interference call on Mike Piazza. Encouraged by Orel Hershiser and Robin Ventura, Valentine put on the sunglasses, constructed his mustache and crept back into the dugout, where television cameras immediately spotted him.

Any chance Valentine had of pleading innocence evaporated when he led the charge onto the field to celebrate Rey Ordoñez’s game-winning single in the 14th inning. Valentine was fined $5,000 and suspended two games.

“It was made a big thing because things were kind of big at that time,” Valentine told ESPN in 2019. “I was supposed to be fired.”

Instead, the Mets went 40-15 in the 55 games following the coaching changes and eventually reached the National League Championship Series. Valentine managed New York to the World Series against the crosstown Yankees in 2000 and ranked second in team history in wins and games managed when he was fired following the 2002 season.

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Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine throws out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Mets and the Miami Marlins, Friday, May 29, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine, left, poses with Mr. Met after throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Mets and the Miami Marlins, Friday, May 29, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)