RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Penguins, a team that needed a burst of wins down the stretch just to make the playoffs, are headed back to the Stanley Cup final.

A 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at RBC Center gave the Penguins a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference final and set up a potential rematch with Detroit. The Red Wings, who have a 3-1 series lead over Chicago in the Western Conference final, beat the Penguins in six games in the 2008 Cup final.

The Penguins will open the final on the road as early as Saturday.

As they did in the previous game, the Hurricanes opened the scoring. Center Eric Staal tucked the puck between the right post and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for a wrapround goal -- his first of the series -- to make it 1-0 at 1:36 of the first period.

The Penguins answered at 8:21 of the first period when winger Ruslan Fedotenko, cruising in from the left boards, converted a pass from the right point by defenseman Philippe Boucher.

Forward Max Talbot gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead at 18:31 of the first period on a fluky goal. He stole the puck from Carolina defenseman Niclas Wallin in the Penguins end and raced down the ice with defenseman Anton Babchuk pursuing after coming off the bench. Talbot's shot went off Babchuk's stick and fluttered off goaltender Cam Ward and into the net.

The Penguins extended the lead to 3-1 when winger Bill Guerin converted a soft, well placed cross-slot feed from Sidney Crosby at 12:10 of the second period.

Winger Craig Adams added an empty-net goal off a pass from Crosby at 18:50 of the third period.