A long overhead pass dropped in front of winger Eric Robinson. Canadiens’ goalie Jakob Dobeš stood alone between puck and net, and a Carolina goal felt inevitable.

Robinson flew down the ice and slipped the puck between Dobeš’ leg pads to make it 3-0 Carolina in the first period. Starting one playoff game with a three-goal lead is impressive, starting back-to-back games up three goals is dominance.

From there, a Carolina victory felt inevitable. A packed Lenovo Center grew louder and louder the closer the Canes got to the final whistle. The final whistle, and a chance at hockey glory.

After playing out a 6-1 win — and after years of falling just short — the Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time with head coach Rod Brind’Amour and the five players who have been with him for his whole eight-year tenure.

“They’ve laid the foundation for everything that’s gone on here … I’m really happy for those guys,” winger Taylor Hall said. “There’s an amazing culture here that’s been here for a long time.”

Carolina jumped at Montreal from the opening faceoff, testing Dobeš with a 2-on-1 in the first minute of the game and not letting up the pressure until the game was fully out of reach.

“We were still focused at three [goals], anything can happen,” captain and center Jordan Staal said.

Staal sets the example for the hard-nosed style of play the Canes bring to the ice, and his “machine” approach to the game is echoed down the roster.

“When your leader is that, everyone else kind of falls in suit … maybe it is machinelike,” Brind’Amour said.

The Canes dropped the series opener and then eked out a pair of overtime wins, but were machinelike in closing out the series. Carolina scored nine unanswered goals across the final two games, and its all-in, team-first blueprint shined.

“As a team, the culture feels unbelievable right now. Everyone’s working for each other and making it easy for each other,” winger Jackson Blake said. “I’m having so much fun playing with these guys and doing it with them.”

Blake scored a putback on a breakaway for his only goal of the night, and his linemates Hall and center Logan Stankoven each scored a goal too. Their line is scoring almost five goals per 60 minutes, and conceding less than two.

“It’s a great combination to have … I did not think that was going to necessarily work, and it was immediate,” Brind’Amour said. “You gotta give [Hall] a lot of credit for the way he’s played and come into this group and just said ‘whatever you need me to do.’”

The Canes’ real strength is in their ability to roll over lines and maintain a consistent level of effort and physical intensity. They were the stronger and faster team all game — and most of the series — and those qualities barely change as Brind’Amour cycles through his bench.

“It’s been a lot of grinding and a lot of ups and downs but just proud of the group we have here and just grinding through it and never giving up,” Staal said.

For the Canes, it’s finally getting over the hump after years of falling short. A chance to play for Carolina’s first Stanley Cup in 20 years. But it’s a similar feeling for the fans and the city of Raleigh.

“They’ve grinded it out with us. Night in, night out, supporting us. Loud and enthusiastic. They’re behind us,” Brind’Amour said. “Playing in a small-market team, it’s a community feel. We’re in it with them … We’re their team.”

For Brind’Amour himself, it’s returning to the Stanley Cup Finals as a coach, not a player. But it’s also seeing his group of players play at the level he’s always believed they were capable of playing at since he took the mantle of head coach.

“[I felt we could make the final] eight years ago,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s why it’s been so hard … I felt like we could do this. I’m not surprised we’re here.”

As unburdening as it may be for the coach to get over the hurdle — Brind’Amour’s Canes have lost three times in the Eastern Conference Finals — it means something for the team to see him get there.

“Talk about a guy that will never give up and will always stay with it,” Staal said. “It’s been such a pleasure playing in front of him and he wants it for us so bad and we want it for him, it goes both ways.”

The Vegas Golden Knights await Carolina in the Stanley Cup Finals, with Game 1 set for 8 p.m. on June 2 at Lenovo Center.