2001/02: Fortunate to be playing in the weakest division in the NHL the Hurricanes wins the Southeast with a solid 35-26-16-6 record. In the playoffs the Canes were a considerable underdog in a rematch against the New Jersey Devils. Goalie Arturs Irbe was the star as the Canes won the first 2 games at home with twin 2-1 victories. However, as the series went to New Jersey Irbe would struggle as the Devils tied the series. Prior to a pivotal Game 5 at home Irbe was benched in favor of Kevin Weekes. Weekes played strong, but the Devils had a 2-1 lead late in the 3rd period when Jeff O'Neil forced overtime in where Josef Vasicek delivered a dramatic goal that gave the Canes a 3-2 series lead. In Game 6 Weekes would come up strong again stopping 32 shots as the Canes won their first playoff series with an exciting 1-0 victory. Moving on to the 2nd Round hockey fever had hit tobacco road as the Hurricanes were selling out Raleigh Arena, even though a large number of fans had been bought up by Montreal Canadiens fans who made the trip down for the series. In Game 1 Kevin Weeks posted another shutout as the Canes won 2-0,. However, Weekes would start to struggle as the Canadiens won the next 2, and held a 2-0 lead after the 1st period in Game 4 in Montreal. Arturs Irbe would take over in the 2nd period as the Habs lead grew to 3-0. Facing a 3-1 series deficit it looked as if the Canes magic run was over, in fact it was just about to begin. In the 3rd period the Hurricanes would score 3 unanswered goals including a game-tying goal by Erik Cole with 51 seconds left, and the goalie pulled. With new life the Canes evened the series in overtime as Niclas Wallin scored the game winner.  From there the Canes stormed on winning the final 2 games by a combined 13-3 to reach their first Conference finals in franchise history. In the Eastern Finals the Canes would drop Game 1 at home to the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1. However the Canes would quickly storm back to win the next 3 as Goalie Arturs Irbe reestablished himself as the starter holding the Leafs to 2 goals in 3 games. With a chance to close out the series at home the Canes were smothered by the Leafs defense in Game 5 losing 1-0. Game 6 was another tough defensive game, as the scoreboard remained blank until Jeff O'Neill gave the Canes a 1-0 lead midway through the 3rd period. With time winding down the Canes could taste the finals, but Mats Sundin even the game with just 42 seconds left sending the fans at Toronto's Air Canada Center into frenzy. However the Hurricanes would regroup and put the Leafs away with a goal by Martin Gelinas 8 minutes in to OT. In the finals the Hurricanes were given no chance facing the Detroit Red Wings. However, they would steal Game 1 in overtime on a Ron Francis goal 58 seconds into the extra session. After the Wings took Game 2, Hurricanes fans were in frenzy in Game 3 as the Canes held a 2-1 lead late in the 3rd period. However, the Wings would tie it and force overtime, there the two teams battled late into the night before Arturs Irbe was finally beaten by Igor Larionov 14:47 into a 3rd overtime. It would be the last stand for the Hurricanes would fall in 5 games after losing the next 2.

2005/06: Coming back from the lockout the Hurricanes were a team overlooked by everyone, little did anyone know that the pieces were in place for a special year? With Rookie Cam Ward and Veteran Martin Gerber splitting time in goal the Hurricanes got off to a strong start, winning 8 of 11 games in October. As the weather cooled the Hurricanes continued to play solid hockey skating through the first three months with a solid 24-10-4 record. In January the Hurricanes made their move to the top of the Eastern Conference winning 13 of 14 games as they held a remarkable 39-14-4 record at the Olympic Break. After the 16-day break for the Olympics the Hurricanes continued to play solid hockey winning four straight when adversity struck with a neck injury to Eric Cole, who was among the team leaders with 30 goals and 29 assists. With Cole on the sidelines the Hurricanes only managed .500 hockey the rest of the regular season. However their 52-22-8 record was still good enough to win the Southeast Division and earn the second seed in the playoffs, as Captain Rod Brind'Amour had one of the strongest seasons of his career with 31 goals and 39 assists and a defensive presence that earned him the Selke Trophy, while Erik Staal had a break out 100-point season leading the Canes in goals (45) and assists (55). By the time the playoffs arrived Martin Gerber had won the starting goalie spot and was in the nets for the start of the first round series against the vaunted Montreal Canadiens. Through the first two games the Canadiens appeared to be the second seed as they won Game 1 by a score of 6-1. Gerber was shaky again in Game 2 allowing 3 goals in the first period, before he was relieved by Cam Ward. The Hurricanes would comeback to force overtime but the Habs too 2-0 series lead with a 6-5 win. As the series shifted to Montreal Cam Ward started Game 3 and was brilliant allowing just 1 goal on 28 shots as the Canes won 2-1. Ward was solid again in Game 4 as the Canes evened the series with a 3-2 win. The series shifted back to Raleigh for Game 5 as Ward continued to be the stopped in a 2-1 win that gave the Hurricanes a 3-2 series lead, as they completed the comeback with a 2-1 overtime goal Cory Stillman in Game 6. In the second round the Hurricanes faced another team with a string playoff history in the New Jersey Devils, and grabbed the devil by the horn right from the start winning 6-0 in Game 1. Game 2 would be much tougher for the Hurricanes as Martin Brodeur was stopping just about every shot as the game was tied late 1-1, when suddenly the Devils took a 2-1 lead with 21 seconds left. Rather then be heartbroken the Hurricanes quickly refocused and tied the game with 3 seconds left on a Erik Staal goal. With the RBC Center rocking the Hurricanes would win in overtime on a goal by Niclas Wallin. The Canes would win 3-2 again in Game 4 to take a 3-0 series lead. After losing Game 4, the series came back to Raleigh as the Hurricanes won Game 5 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals 4-1.