Hurricanes brush off layoff, face speedy Canadiens in Game 1

The Carolina Hurricanes finally return to game action on Thursday. Key word: Finally. The Hurricanes have been awaiting their opposition for the Eastern Conference finals since May 9, and the respite ends when they take on Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 in Raleigh, N.C. Carolina’s 11-day layoff is the longest for an NHL team since Montreal had 12 days off between playoff series in 1919.

Hurricanes brush off layoff, face speedy Canadiens in Game 1. The Carolina Hurricanes finally return to game action on Thursday. Key word: Finally. The Hurricanes have been awaiting their opposition for the Eastern Conference finals since May 9, and the respite ends when they take on Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 in Raleigh, N.C. Carolina’s 11-day layoff is the longest for an NHL team since Montreal had 12 days off between playoff series in 1919. “You’re going to be amped up either way, it’s playoff hockey,” forward Sebastian Aho said on Wednesday. “We had something similar between Round 1 and 2. Obviously, it wasn’t quite as long, but still a break. I think we’ve been doing all the right things here, staying sharp physically, and (getting) a bit of a mental break for the first few days.” Carolina, which finished atop the conference in the...