And then there were two.

After eight months of NHL hockey, the two teams who will battle for the Stanley Cup have been decided. The Carolina Hurricanes will host the eighth seeded Edmonton Oilers on Monday as the final series of the 2005-06 campaign will be underway.

After knocking off the Buffalo Sabres this past Thursday in game 7 of the eastern conference finals, the Hurricanes secured their second trip to the finals in the last four years.

The Edmonton Oilers, after finishing off the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in five games, headed to the New York area as they awaited their opponent. The Oilers had an eight-day layoff and took the time to heal, bond and relax in the practice facility of the New York Rangers.

This is a match-up that few hockey pundits could have predicted. The last time there was NHL hockey, both the Hurricanes and the Oilers failed to even make the playoffs.

Even though the Hurricanes had 17 more points than the Oilers during the regular season, both teams appear to be evenly matched now that records can be thrown out the window.

The Hurricanes boast the best power-play in this year?s playoffs; the Oilers combat that stat with the highest penalty killing efficiency.

Hurricanes forward Eric Staal leads his team [and the NHL] with 20 points in the playoffs; Staal also leads his team with 13 assists. Chris Pronger leads the Oilers with 13 assists of his own. ?Canes captain Rod Brind?Amour and Oilers forward Fernando Pisani both have 9 goals for their respected teams (tied for the lead in the NHL).

While some believe the Hurricanes are deeper up-front, their fourth line has not been able to score a single point so far this post-season. The Oilers have received scoring from all their lines, including from their defence and their goaltender Dwayne Roloson, who leads all playoff goalies with two points [both assists].

Game one is scheduled for Monday night at 8 p.m. EST in Carolina.

Tidbits & Notes:

- Hurricanes rookie netminder Cam Ward, an Alberta boy and an Oilers fan growing up, is looking to be the first rookie goalie since Patrick Roy in 1986 to win a Stanley Cup in his rookie year.

- Out of all the players remaining in the Cup hunt, only Cory Stillman can be a back-to-back champion if the Hurricanes win. Stillman was a member of the 2004 Tampa Bay Lighting Stanley Cup championship team.

- For the second straight playoffs it will be a southeast team vs. a team from the northwest division (as well as a Canadian team). In 2004, the Tampa Bay Lighting beat the Calgary Flames in seven games to win the Cup.






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