The Carolina Hurricanes are just one win away from the Stanley Cup Final after a dominant 4-0 victory Wednesday night over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final.

The Hurricanes scored three times in less than three minutes late in the first period, added an empty netter late and shut out the Canadiens for their third straight win in the series. Carolina leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can clinch Friday night in Raleigh.

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“Tough to pick that one apart,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

Carolina, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, is 11-1 in the postseason, including 6-0 on the road. Outside of a 6-2 loss in the series opener against Montreal, after 11 days off, the Canes have been unstoppable in the playoffs.

They were once again on their game Wednesday, controlling the action early, getting the game’s first six shots and, for the fourth time this series, scoring first.

“We talk about starting like that, just keeping it simple early,” Logan Stankoven said. “Sometimes you have to find the body blows to get to the head and open up the head. When you can stack shifts and  set up the other guys for success, good things will continue to happen.”

Good things did happen.

Sebastian Aho’s one-timer from the left circle off a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers beat Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobeš with 5:01 remaining in the first period — Carolina’s first power-play goal in the series on its 10th attempt. Carolina had been 0-for-9 on the power play in the series.

Just 68 seconds later, captain Jordan Staal made it 2-0 when he slipped a backhanded pass from K’Andre Miller through the legs of Dobeš. Staal battled Josh Anderson for position in front of the net and positioned himself perfectly to tip the pass.

Logan Stankoven capped the scoring binge with a goal off a feed from Jackson Blake on a 2-on-1 rush with 2:14 remaining in the period. The rush was set up by a blocked shot by Shayne Gostisbehere in the defensive zone. It was Stankoven’s team-high eighth goal this postseason.

“Huge play in that game,” Brind’Amour said.

That was more than enough for the Hurricanes against a Montreal team that went the distance in the first two rounds as the Hurricanes swept their first two opponents. Those six additional games, plus back-to-back overtime losses in Games 2 and 3, seem to have taken a toll on the Canadiens.

The Hurricanes outshot Montreal 42-16. Dobeš, who has started all 18 games for Montreal in the playoffs and turned 25 on Wednesday, allowed three goals on 12 shots in the first period. He stopped two breakaway opportunities from the Canes, including on Blake less than three minutes into the first and on Seth Jarvis midway through the third.

Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net goal with less than two minutes remaining for the final score.

“Tonight was definitely one of our best games this playoff,” captain Jordan Staal said on TNT after the game. “It’s a good team, don’t get me wrong. We were on it though. Our No. 1 goal is not giving them a sniff.”

Montreal had just five shots in the first 20 minutes. The Canadiens were better in the second period, but couldn’t get any past Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen, who had several good stops with about 2:10 seconds remaining in the period. It came minutes after the Hurricanes were unable to capitalize on a lengthy 5-on-3 power play advantage.

Andersen, who recorded his third postseason shutout this year, has allowed just 19 goals in 12 postseason games.

“Freddie’s been just a rock back there,” Staal said. “He’s so steady and so calm. And it is tricky at times, I think, for a goalie to be sitting and obviously they’re going to get shots, and he made some big saves at the right time and that’s what you need in a goaltender.”

Carolina is making its fourth appearance in the Eastern Conference Final since 2019 under Brind’Amour. The Canes went 1-12 in the previous three series, but this year’s team — with added depth and offensive firepower — is probably the best of the bunch and, now, closer to the Cup final than at any point in the last 20 years.

“The fourth one is always the hardest one to win,” Staal said. “It’s going to be a brand new challenge, brand new game and we’re going to have to learn from this next game and then learn how we can get even better and find a way to close it out.”

Vegas swept top-seeded Colorado, the NHL’s best team in the regular season, in the Western Conference Final. The winner of the Eastern Conference Final will have home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Final with Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, if necessary, at home.

Previous coverage:

Game 1: Montreal 6, Carolina 2; Postgame rapid reaction

Game 2: Carolina 3, Montreal 2 (OT); Postgame rapid reaction

Game 3: Carolina 3, Montreal 2 (OT); Postgame rapid reaction