CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS April 2, 2019 - NHL.com
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CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
Who are these jerks in Carolina?
Scott Burnside The team instantly produced “Bunch of Jerks” T-shirts. Close
to 11,000 were sold, shipping to people in every state in the
RALEIGH, N.C. – Curtis McElhinney has a confession. United States, plus Canada, Finland, China, Switzerland, the
Sometimes when the veteran netminder does not check his Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It is the biggest-selling
text messages on the way to PNC Arena for a home game. piece of team-related merchandise outside of the Hurricanes’
That means when the Carolina Hurricanes win and perform Stanley Cup gear in 2006.
their now highly anticipated – and not a little controversial – But to consider the celebrations in isolation as some kind of
postgame Storm Surge celebration, McElhinney occasionally hokey gimmick is to ignore the complex nature of building a
does not know exactly what is going on. team and the painstaking task of rebuilding a franchise from
Like when the Hurricanes defeated the Sabres and the group the ground up. To view this team through only the Storm
feigned a series of curling matches with their helmets and Surge prism is to ignore that players here have endured
sticks. unspeakable personal tragedy, have questioned their own
worth, and faced ridicule and worse, irrelevance, in pursuit of
“I will admit that on the curling one I wasn’t quite sure of what forging something meaningful.
my role was,” McElhinney said. “I think I was merely a
spectator.” In a matter of days, the Hurricanes could step onto the ice for
an NHL playoff game for the first time since 2009.
Good thing captain Justin Williams hadn’t penciled him in as
a skip. What it will mean to this team and its fan base is a lesson in
perseverance and faith that has resonated across the hockey
It’s the final stretch of what has been a revelatory season for landscape. Bunch of jerks? Maybe. But these jerks are likely
the beleaguered franchise and its equally battered fans. going to the playoffs. Get used to it.
Even picture day felt notable, as the most famous maker of
hockey ice, Dan Craig, was visiting. At this time of year, the Staal was at the center of the celebration the last time a
senior NHL executive visits various arenas that are likely playoff game was played in Carolina on May 26, 2009; only
hosting playoff games to make sure everything is in order. he was a member of the Penguins and on his way to winning
the Stanley Cup.
It is safe to say Craig has not made such a visit to Raleigh in
many years. Staal hasn’t seen postseason action since being traded to
the Hurricanes in 2012, and watching his brothers have
The most notable part of picture day, though, was the success didn’t make the wait any easier.
demeanor of the team. For most of the past decade, picture
day was a brutal reminder of unmet expectations. This year, “I don’t want to be super negative in this thing. But I’m a
laughter and hooting and hollering rang out as the pretty negative guy sometimes in general,” Staal said with a
Hurricanes assumed their positions on the chairs and risers laugh when asked about all of those playoff-less springs.
on the ice. “But I find it miserable. I want to be a part of it. I hate to lose.
And no one likes to finish off the season with meaningless
“That’s one of the first times picture day wasn’t as miserable games. It’s literally, it’s not fun. It’s not enjoyable. It feels like
as it normally is,” veteran center Jordan Staal said with a work at that point. And that’s what it’s been for a few years.
laugh. “It’s a fun feeling for sure. It’s been a long time. It’s It’s been work. And now obviously when you’re involved and
been a long time coming for the city and the fans here. playing it’s fun at the same time and it’s enjoyable to go to
We’ve got some work to do obviously but definitely a the rink and go play hockey.”
different buzz on game days. On the ice. And then just
around the city as well. Just a few extra, ‘hey, how’s it No one has the perspective on not just hockey but life that
going?’ Or ‘great job, blah, blah, blah.’ You can definitely tell Jordan Staal does.
people are starting to get the itch and get more involved and He just returned from a concussion that cost him two months
starting to realize what this team can do.” of this season. The injury made it hard for him to track things
From the outside there is an element of the curious about with his eyes, threw off his balance quite a bit and caused
this team mostly stemming from its enthusiastic, sometimes migraines.
ingenious, sometimes obscure postgame celebrations. “You try and string together as many good days as you can,”
High-profile hockey figures including aging Canadian he said. “Early on it was just putting the kids’ clothes on in
broadcaster Don Cherry and longtime hockey executive the morning and going up and down and left and right and
Brian Burke, now a broadcast analyst in Canada, have walking down the stairs after. And you’re going, that was way
criticized the celebrations and hence the team. harder than it should have been. Your head just feels like it’s
bobbing up and down and different stuff and the headaches.”
Cherry became so exasperated with the celebration he
called them a “bunch of jerks” on national television, which Staal relied on help from family, including brother Marc who
further galvanized the team and its growing fan base. had his own concussion issues, and former teammate
Sidney Crosby.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
Marc met up with Jordan and their respective families at their and smile and be who you are and not let it affect you now, I
parents’ winter place in Naples, Fla., during the All-Star think that’s leadership.”
break.
Brind’Amour has been an institution here in this community
“As soon as he walked through the door I knew exactly what since being acquired by the Hurricanes in 2000. But to be
he was feeling,” said Marc. “It absolutely devastated me for fair, there were those outside the Raleigh bubble who
seven or eight months after. I could see it in his eyes and his wondered if Brind’Amour’s promotion from assistant to head
body language. I said ‘you’re not feeling right. I can tell.’” coach when Bill Peters departed for Calgary was simply a
gimmick or another way for new owner Tom Dundon, who
One of the biggest pieces of advice Marc provided was that took control of the team in early 2018, to save some bucks.
when you’re feeling right, truly right, there won’t be any
question about whether you are ready to play. That the team improved in such dramatic fashion should be
surprising, but somehow for those who played with or worked
But it’s not just the physical challenges that confronted alongside Brind’Amour, there is little surprise that the
Jordan and his family. Hurricanes are poised to return to the playoffs in his first year
Just over a year ago he and his wife, Heather, lost their as a head coach.
infant daughter, Hannah, to a terminal birth defect. It was “I’m not even at all surprised honestly,” veteran NHLer Matt
something that forced Jordan to examine many elements of Cullen said.
his life including his marriage to Heather – whom he married
on the day he was traded to Carolina – his faith and his own “He’s a guy that, whatever he would decide to go into, he’d
personality. be a huge success just because he knows how to apply
himself completely to whatever he wants to do. …
“Yeah. Love. I’m telling you, my family has been amazing,” Understands the game at a very high level and played it at a
Staal said. “I guess when you hear about people going very high level forever, so he carries that weight of respect
through tough times it’s almost like shutting up and just into the room. Just his commitment to excellence is beyond
giving them a hug. It’s the best way to go about it. And just anybody I’ve ever seen probably.”
being there for them. Not trying to relate. Not trying to
compare. Not trying to put a little bit Band-Aid on a tough In the very first meeting at training camp in September,
time.” Brind’Amour told the players that the one thing the Canes
had become good at was giving players lots of time off in the
He now feels like he was able to take something shattering spring. He promised that was going to stop.
and become stronger as a husband, brother and person.
After an up-tempo training camp and a 4-0-1 start to the
“I learned a lot about listening and I learned a lot about my season, the team couldn’t buy a goal, winning just four of its
wife and how strong she is and how amazing she is and then next 14 games. The Canes slipped out of the playoff picture,
just working through tough times and then I think I learned a and it was starting to look a little like Groundhog Day around
little bit about just not being so independent,” Jordan said. Raleigh.
“Actually leaning on people and talking to people and not
being that guy that nothing ever bothers him because that “It was weird. Our best hockey was our first 25 games. And
was hard and I did need to talk to somebody and work our record was crap,” Brind’Amour recalled. “So I started
through it. So I learned that those aren’t bad things. Those going, ‘oh, no.’”
aren’t signs of weakness. Those are signs of strength. And
being able to use the people that love you and that are Brind’Amour, a man of deep convictions when it comes to
around you and work through things like that is important.” the game, admitted he wondered how this was going to play
out.
Those around the team say Staal, a father of two other girls,
ages 4 and almost 3, has never been happier. “Even though everyone was starting to doubt us, it was like,
‘oh, man, just stick with it.’ To be honest with you, I didn’t
But it’s not just the prospect of returning to the playoffs: He know any other way to do it,” Brind’Amour said. “It wasn’t
and Heather are expecting another child in July. like, ‘OK, let’s go to Plan B.’ We didn’t have a Plan B. This is
how we have to play.”
“We obviously held off from telling people for a little bit longer
than normal, I guess,” Jordan said. “So we were praying Who knows how close this season came to being like every
before that that everything went well and it did and it was an other season for the past 10 years. But it’s pretty simple to
answered prayer. The baby looks healthy and everything pinpoint why it didn’t.
looks good in regards to obviously what happened last year
and everything else. We’re very happy and very excited.” On a wall at PNC Arena is a picture from Carolina’s 2006
Stanley Cup run of captain Rod Brind’Amour and 24-year-old
For coach Rod Brind’Amour, Staal’s point production is Justin Williams.
almost irrelevant when considered against what he brings to
the ice and the locker room in terms of leadership and Williams went on to win two more Stanley Cups in Los
accountability. Angeles, earning the nickname Mr. Game 7, and played two
seasons in Washington. In the summer of 2017, Williams
“I just think the guys appreciate him and they know what he’s chose to sign a two-year deal to essentially come home to
been through,” Brind’Amour said. “It doesn’t get talked about. Raleigh.
You don’t have to, right? You know. Nobody wants to have to
deal with something like that. But to come out the other side
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
He had other options. Dallas, Toronto and other teams “This is the most together team I’ve ever been around since
looking for veteran leadership came calling. But he and his the championship team,” veteran play-by-play announcer
wife liked the fit in Raleigh, liked the possibilities. John Forslund said. “Now, who knows what they’re going to
do? They haven’t even made (the playoffs) yet. But from
And then came last season and a 10th-place finish in the togetherness, I’ve never seen anything like this. They’re truly
Eastern Conference. together. They are truly a team. They’ve got great
“Last year was a frustrating, very frustrating year,” Williams personalities. They’ve come out of their skin. A lot of these
said. “We said all the right things last year but the feeling kids I never knew they had personalities like this because
around the dressing room was that we were kind of they were so restricted with Bill (Peters). Bill’s a good coach.
pretenders, if we’re all being honest.” Bill’s a very good coach. But they were younger and they
were intimidated and they were worried about making
This year, though? This is why he came home. mistakes outside of the system.”
“This year it feels like we’re not going away. We’re not Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho are basically
getting pushed out when it gets harder,” he said. inseparable. The two Finns live in the same complex not far
One of the first things that Brind’Amour did as a head coach from the Shorthills area of Raleigh. They are passionate
was name Williams captain. video game players and are Fortnite teammates, as well as
occasional linemates on the ice.
One might imagine that the prospect of their changed roles,
an aging veteran captain and rookie head coach, could have When the weather turns warmer, they plan to golf together,
caused some uncomfortable moments in spite of their although at this stage Teravainen is the more accomplished
longstanding friendship. But the opposite is true. of the two as Aho just picked up the game when he came to
North America for the 2016-17 season.
Williams is the conduit between Brind’Amour’s vision and the
execution on the ice. “I made him,” Teravainen said with a laugh over lunch at a
local Italian eatery.
When things went south a bit early on it was Williams, along
with Staal and Justin Faulk, who kept this ship from going Teravainen is not just three years Aho’s senior, but he also
aground. understands the dynamics of an NHL playoff run in a way
that few outside Williams and Staal comprehend in the
“I give the guys credit. Because they could easily have said Hurricanes’ dressing room. After being called up from the
screw this, this isn’t working, you’re pushing us too hard or AHL’s Rockford IceHogs in the 2014-15 season, Teravainen
we don’t like this,” Brind’Amour said. “And they didn’t and played in 18 playoff games with the Chicago Blackhawks,
that’s Willy, Jordan. It’s all those guys saying this is how collecting 10 points en route to a Stanley Cup.
we’re doing it. And we’re lucky we got a young team and
they look up to those guys. … If they went the other way, Aho, from the small city of Rauma on the southwest coast of
easy, all the other guys go ‘we’re tanking, we’re not doing it Finland, is starting to understand that part of his life includes
that way.’” being the center of attention both at home when he returns
for the offseason and in his adopted hockey home in
Those veteran voices resonate because they are also Raleigh. Even lunch now includes a fan politely stopping to
productive members of the team. offer his congratulations.
Williams is playing top-six minutes and is a vital cog both While it seems a given that NHL scoring leader Nikita
personality wise and production wise. Williams has a chance Kucherov will win the Hart Trophy as the league’s most
to end up with more goals at age 37 than he’s had since valuable player, you can make a case that Aho should at
2006-07. least be in the discussion given his emergence as a two-way
player.
When it comes time to plan the Storm Surge celebrations, it
is Williams who sits with teammates and maps them out. It is The interesting thing is that Aho, the 35th overall pick in
Williams who shares the ideas with the team’s 2015, has surpassed the 80-point mark and registered a
communication staff in case there are props that need to be plus-23 goal differential through 79 games by moving back to
procured – like the portable basketball hoop that was his natural position as a center in spite of Brind’Amour’s
procured from a local department store and stored near the initial reluctance to use him there. He felt Aho would be more
ice resurfacing entrance for use after a critical win against dynamic on the wing a la Taylor Hall, but the fit at center has
Minnesota, with Trevor van Riemsdyk dribbling through his been a good one.
teammates and providing the slam dunk to end the surge.
“I was worried his offense was going to suffer and that has
Conversely, when the team lays an egg, as Canes did been the opposite,” Brind’Amour said.
recently against Tampa, watching a 3-2 two-period lead turn
into a sloppy 6-3 defeat, it is Williams who spares nothing. It’s still a work in progress. Aho is 21 after all and
occasionally Brind’Amour will have to remind him that he’s
“We pissed it away,” Williams said during a brief postgame not Sidney Crosby. Not yet.
media scrum. “We pissed it away and it’s unacceptable.”
“I’ve got to get on him all the time because he thinks offense
More than half the players in the dressing room in Carolina all the time,” Brind’Amour said.
on any given night are new to the team from a year ago. And
somehow the group doesn’t just work they thrive.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
As the season has progressed and with Staal’s injury There is always some elasticity between on-ice success and
complicating the penalty kill, Brind’Amour heaped more bottom-line success, but still there are signs that a corner
responsibility on both Aho and Teravainen. was turned.
Combined they represented 150 points through 74 games. The team invested in a state-of-the-art $3 million projection
Williams is third on team, 22 points behind Teravainen and system, and Dundon is discussing long-term enhancements
32 behind Aho. to the arena. Ticket sales are up 11 percent over last season
and suite sales are up 13 percent over the same period.
If GM Don Waddell is correct, Aho better get used to the There is slow growth in sponsorships and there’s a possibility
attention. season-ticket sales could approach the 10,000 mark pending
“There’s no doubt in my mind that one day he’ll be the playoff success, which would almost double the number of
captain of the team,” Waddell said. “There’s no selfishness in four years ago.
his game. I can’t say enough good things about him.” If you go out the East entrance to PNC Arena and walk until
There are more than enough reminders about the past and you hit a patch of grass and bushes, you’ll run into the folks
what has been lost in the last decade so maybe it’s a good who call themselves Section 328. They’ve been calling that
thing that a sizeable part of the team’s core is young enough little swath of ground home for years, gathering before
that the past has little relevance to them. games in all kinds of weather in all kinds of circumstances.
Longtime Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk tells a great On a chilly night in late March with rain threatening, the
story about a pal of his, a younger player in another market. group – which includes Mike Flanagan and Derek Roessler,
who do a podcast called Cheaters Never Win (what Canes
“Last year he was telling me he didn’t know who was in his fans call out when an opposing player takes a penalty) – is
division, what their record was, how many points they had,” discussing the potential for the team to get an outdoor game.
Faulk said. “He had no idea. And this was like December. It If it happens, they are already planning an epic 24-hour
wasn’t the beginning of the season. But he was doing really tailgate.
well having a good season. And it’s just that naiveness of
like, ‘I’m here, I’m playing hockey’ and that’s all he’s thinking The past 10 years followed a predictable pattern for fans like
about.” the Section 328 gang. Hope pinned on a move or two –
Alexander Semin and Scott Darling to name just two –
So there is something to be said for that kind of naiveté from followed by crushing disappointment and, of course, the
players like Aho, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce and rookie inevitable sliding out of the playoff picture.
Andrei Svechnikov, who now leads all first-year players with
20 even-strength goals. That this year might somehow be different is almost too
much to believe.
Much of this young Carolina team knows little but Storm
Surges and now a playoff stretch drive. “It’s been like waiting for the next shoe to drop,” Flanagan
said. “It’s been like, when’s the failure going to happen? It’s
Faulk is not one of those players. The 27-year-old has not almost like you can’t enjoy it as much as you should or as
played a single playoff game in his career. much as you want to.”
“For myself, the last couple of years you start to think about it He looks around at his friends. He spends more time with
more and realize that it’s been pretty brutal,” he said. “It’s them than he does pretty much anyone else in his life. Think
tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel when it seems of the best wedding you’ve been to in the past 10 years and
like it’s been dragging on for a while.” that’s what Flanagan imagines it will be like when they step
The talent on the team suggests that won’t be the case, but through the doors for that first playoff game, hopefully, in
then again, no one thought it’d be 10 monstrous years about a week.
between playoff appearances in this market either. Flanagan and his wife, Leigh, adopted a son a few years ago
A generation of fans has come and gone, and mostly gone and now they will be able to share the moment with 4-year-
without knowing the drama of a playoff series. A generation old Fionn, who’s now addicted to the game.
that doesn’t remember the 2006 Stanley Cup run. And maybe that’s what this is all about.
“There’s so many other people who just say, forget it, I’ll be Sharing something, passing something meaningful on so that
there when they win,” Forslund said. “That’s why this season they can, in turn, do the same down the road.
it was so important to do something.”
Maybe that’s why it’s so hard not to root for these jerks and
Dundon has been unconventional in his approach to owning all the jerks who have been waiting for days like this to roll
a team, as evidenced by his failure to hire a traditional GM to back around.
replace Ron Francis and instead giving the job to Waddell,
who was also overseeing the team’s business operation.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
Bourne: Why this is the year a ‘weird-ass’ team wins the Cup
By Justin Bourne level with putting your cash on Washington coasting past
either team in short order? (Just to address the stampeding
It’s been said the NHL is home to a level of parity that’s the elephant that just charged into the room: No, I don’t think
envy of all the other sports leagues, a phrase generally Montreal is going to work its way into the playoff picture. The
spoken by media evaluating the desires of those in positions Canadiens are trailing in points, they have a tough schedule
of power at other sporting institutions. Leagues logically want left to play, and I’ve never been overly sold on their roster.
to engage as many fan bases as possible each season, and They’ve been amazing and resilient and even a delight to
for as long as possible, for no other reason than to wantonly watch, but this is a “bargument.” I’ve got them out, sorry.
suckle at the cash teats of as many wallets as possible for as Moving on!)
long as possible — the economic goal of many businesses.
Anyway, the Blue Jackets are red-hot right now, having won
For the most part, those that assess these kinds of things five straight games. It looks like the team they tried to build at
agreed, the NHL’s attempts to create parity have been on- the deadline seems to be coming together at the right time
point. The league has done it or at least provided the illusion (or wrong, depending on whom you’re cheering for). Are you
of it (which is what really matters) pretty darn well. Still, there comfortable betting Washington in that matchup? Doesn’t it
have been a stubborn few organizations that have managed seem to have “long-series potential”? How about the
to swim upstream against dynasty-fighting policies for a little Carolina Hurricanes, a team that seems to have caught
more than a decade now. Special Season lightning in a bottle, complete with some
Nine of the past 11 Cup Finals have hosted one of dazzling young talent and a rock-solid D-corps? I mean,
Pittsburgh, Chicago or L.A. While a few other organizations you’d take Washington in that series for sure, but it’s pretty
— like Boston, Washington and Tampa — have been easy to see how legs could get tired there, is it not? And then
regularly nibbling at the fringes of the “likely to win” what awaits a victorious Capitals team, maybe Crosby,
conversations, to varying levels of success, the reality is this: Malkin, Kessel and the Penguins?
Heading into the postseason, we generally have a pretty The point here is, do any of these five teams — Washington,
good idea which puppies of the playoff litter will grow up to the Islanders, Pittsburgh, Columbus or Carolina — from that
be the Big Dogs still eating when they bring out the biggest one division seem to have much of a leg up on the next? Mix
bowl in June. and match the potential series in any way you like. Most of
With that reality in mind, I bring to you my latest “bargument.” the time, you’re looking at a coin toss when it comes to
(I’ve decided that a “bargument” is the type of argument picking the winner.
usually rooted in sports or politics that can be conveyed And when it comes to slim margins between winning and
using only words, that welcomes disagreement and losing in hockey, doesn’t it feel like a year that a weird-ass
conversation and usually has one fairly clear statement of wild-card team could do some damage out of the East?
opinion. As in, the type of argument you’d hear at a sports
bar.) That’s only aided by the fact that …
That opinion here: Some weird-ass team is going to win the The road through the Atlantic is essentially the plot of Lord of
Stanley Cup this season, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rings, only instead of dropping off the ring in Mordor,
the Final played between two weird-ass teams. (Another that’s where you pick it up
addendum: the phrase “weird-ass” — a very bar-style
phrase, indeed — just means a team who hasn’t won it all in I don’t think I need to go into too much detail here. Tampa,
forever, if ever, or didn’t show itself to be a real Cup hopeful Boston and Toronto have been three of the league’s better
for most of the regular season. Simply a team that hasn’t teams throughout the bulk of the 2018-19 season, divisions
recently or consistently qualified for consensus Big Dog and conferences be damned.
status.) (While we’re tranquilizing stampeding elephants before they
Here’s my “bargument” by division, starting with a look at the do much damage: The Leafs have had some crappy late-
Metro. season stretches, but they aren’t crap. Their area of
weakness is defence, but a couple of their best defencemen,
The Metro is a shemozzle who have been injured, will return in time for the postseason.
The Bruins are still the favourites, but the perception
Last season, the Washington Capitals took home the Stanley pendulum has swung way too far in the “Bruins are going to
Cup with a less-dominant team than many of its recent roll the Leafs” direction.)
predecessors that dominated the regular-season standing.
This year, they’re right around where they were last season The first two rounds of the NHL’s postseason are inarguably
in terms of points, which is to say they seem “good but — I’ll go as far as to say inbarguably — the most fierce, the
gettable.” To understand what I mean by “gettable,” imagine most competitive, the best. Teams are at their freshest,
you’re a gambler, heaven forbid you’d sink to such depths. they’re at their most excited, and they’ve had the longest to
Now imagine you’d like to place some wagers on the first prep for an opponent (even if they’re prepping for multiple
round of the NHL postseason. opponents, the work can start months early). These early
games are war, with huge emotional swings and physical
Assuming the Caps win the Metro — they’re three points up drains that aren’t really felt until hours after the final buzzer
on the Islanders with three games each to play — they’re
likely drawing Carolina or Columbus. What’s your comfortCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
goes. And worse, felt when the alarm goes off the next among those vying to lose it.) This brings me to the saddest
morning. potential moment ever. Could you imagine the interviews
with Patrick Marleau if Thornton and the Sharks win it all this
And as I may have mentioned, I like Columbus and Carolina year? After all those years at their peak, unable to thwart
enough that I don’t think either is going to roll over for Tampa Chicago, and Los Angeles and Vancouver, suddenly the
in the first round. If Tampa does get through, which seems path to the holy grail gets cleared right when he moves to a
likely to happen but unlikely to be a walk, the Lightning then division with … maybe the league’s two best teams, to play
draw themselves one hell of a battle against either Boston or on the division’s third-best? Poor Patty.
Toronto. The games played in those big series can take a lot
out of a club. OK, I’m getting off track here. The next question to ask is …
While I’m not as high on the teams out of the Metro, I do What has become of the Central? It suddenly seems open
think that whoever emerges will get to face a depleted team for some unlikely teams to do some damage, doesn’t it?
out of the Atlantic. Absences for a variety of reasons,
including injury, can happen to any team, but with a Metro- If you follow many fans of the Winnipeg Jets on Twitter,
Atlantic series coming after eight to 14 playoff games, who there’s a sense that this team isn’t as good as the national
knows if we’re looking at the same rosters we are today. To media seems to believe. Yes, the Jets went to the
me, it all opens up doors for all the weird-ass hopefuls from conference final last season. Yes, they may yet win the
the East. Central. But we may still be mired in the idea of what
“winning the Central” meant a few years ago (when the
And on the other side of the continent … division had like four legit Cup hopefuls). And we may be
missing the fact that the only way you could call them “hot”
Every serious contender from the Pacific qualifies as weird- right now is by noting that tire fires also produce heat. There
ass are just too many nights where they don’t look like a
I’m not gonna blow any of your mental processors here, but particularly special club despite having some elite talent.
this season’s iteration of the Pacific Division was hot Another division-winning hopeful, Nashville, has plummeted
garbage. Of the four worst teams in the Western Conference from last year’s President Trophy status to a team that’s
— doublechecks — yeah, four of them are from that division. been about .500 over the past couple of months of the
Even if you win it — or even, say, the whole conference — it season. With a few games to go, the Predators are more
better be done in an extremely convincing fashion to be than 20 points behind their 2017-18 pace. While they, too,
worthy of being in the Cup favourite conversation. could still find their way into a first-round wild-card matchup
As you may have guessed, Calgary’s team and play alone and essentially a berth into the second round, this will be a
aren’t quite there for me. fairly different squad from the juggernaut-status group that’s
set into playoffs the past few years.
But where the Flames are is in the Pacific Division and about
to draw a team from the Western Conference wild-card race Where this gets really weird-ass is when you look at the St.
— a race that in itself is enough to make me want to curse Louis Blues, who remind me of the Sharks. They’ve been
out anyone who suggests the NHL should expand the better, often far better, than they have been this season, but
number of playoff teams. That’s what puts them in the “Cup no other year has it seemed more possible for them to find
favourite” conversation. their way through to the Final. They’re just two points behind
the Predators and Jets for first in the division — with a game
After they win Round 1 in four or five, they’ll either play a San in hand on Nashville — which means they could draw Dallas,
Jose Sharks team that’s had more regular-season points Colorado, Arizona or Minns … sorry, Dallas, Colorado or
than they currently have in 11 of their previous 13 full Arizona.
seasons, or the Golden Knights, who wouldn’t have enough
points to qualify in the East despite also playing in the (Even just typing those three teams makes me realize — as
hapless Pacific. much as I’m writing off those David-like Western wild-card
teams, it doesn’t seem likely any of them are going to have
Over the past nine seasons, the Flames have made the to slay a Goliath to win a round of their own. Just a slightly
playoffs twice, winning one series and five games total over bigger David. Now that would be weird-ass.)
that span. They missed last season. Thereby they still qualify
for “weird-ass” status, which in turn qualifies everyone in In all, this is the year that it truly feels like any team could
their division below them. win. No team outside Tampa or Boston seems like it should
win based on its team makeup or regular-season
Before we move on here, though, can we take a second to performance. I realize that’s the boldest part of this semi-bold
dwell on the concepts that (a) it’s totally feasible that the prediction — that things won’t be so easy for one of those
Golden Knights could still be involved in the postseason two teams if it gets through to the conference final. But I’m
conversation into May again, but more importantly, (b) THIS pretty comfortable making it — the slog of playoffs can dull
COULD REALLY BE JOE THORNTON’S YEAR. the speed and skill of the more elite teams after enough
Last year, Ovechkin shucked the “Yeah, but he never won it crazy-high tempo matchups. And there are enough weird-ass
all” albatross, which easily leaves Thornton as the next most “maybe” teams that I could see one catching fire at the right
obvious guy to wear it. (I mean, I know he’s been wearing time.
one. There’s multiple albatross — albatri? — clinging to NHL … Plus, this is a “bargument,” after all, and it just feels like
players, but it’s clear Thornton would be the biggest story one of those years.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
I’m making the call. This is the year your random-ass fringe- commissioner or the owners in the heat of the summer, when
nibbling team really does have a chance. This feels like the the curtain is raised, the puck is dropped and Carolina and
year the bizarre is just waiting to happen. So rejoice! After St. Louis finally do battle for Lord Stanley’s Holy Grail.
all, someone has to. And we know it won’t be the league
Canes will try to trade Harvard’s Fox, Dundon says
By Chip Alexander Many consider Fox, a right-handed shooting D-man, to be
NHL-ready, increasing his value to other teams. Could a
Adam Fox, a defenseman at Harvard, was traded in June trade bring the Canes a first-round draft pick? That might be
2018 to the Carolina Hurricanes and attended the team’s too steep a price, although a second-round draft selection
prospect development camp at PNC Arena. Photo courtesy probably can’t be ruled out.
of Harvard athletics.
If a trade can’t be completed, the Canes could continue to try
With Harvard defenseman Adam Fox balking at signing an and sign Fox. If he returns to Harvard and becomes a free
entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, team owner agent next year, they could make another run at him,
Tom Dundon said Monday the Canes are looking at another although that would be unlikely.
option.
Fox attended the Canes’ prospect development camp in
“We’ll try to trade him,” Dundon said. “I think we’ll do OK. Raleigh last year soon after the trade with Calgary. In an
We’ll see.” interview, he said he had made no firm plans about his pro
The Canes obtained Fox as part of the June 2018 trade with future, saying, “For me, it’s not that I’ve thought all the way
the Calgary Flames that had defenseman Noah Hanifin and down the road and had this whole thing planned out, of what
forward Elias Lindholm going to the Flames for defenseman I want to do.”
Dougie Hamilton and forward Micheal Ferland. The Flames Canes general manager Don Waddell had praise for Fox,
had hoped to sign Fox after his sophomore season at saying he was the best defensive prospect not in the NHL.
Harvard but were told he planned to return to school for his Waddell also was confident the Canes would sign Fox,
junior year and then included him in the trade with Carolina. saying he was “99.9 percent” certain an agreement could be
If Fox goes back to Harvard for his senior season and reached after Fox’s junior year.
completes his college eligibility, he will became a free agent An all-American at Harvard, Fox has twice been a member of
in 2020. But there’s the belief if a trade can now be arranged Team USA in the IIHF World Junior Championship, winning
by the Canes with a team Fox desires to play for, he might a gold medal in 2017.
sign immediately.
No magic to it. Brind’Amour wants Canes to win out to reach playoffs
By Chip Alexander To reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009, the Canes
need a combination of six points -- either points gained or
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour doesn’t spend points lost by the Canadiens. Win all three games, as
much time worrying about a “magic number.” Brind’Amour said, and it’s a moot point. Win two games,
The Canes have three games left in the regular season and have the Habs lose one and the Canes are in. And so it
Brind’Amour says, “We’ve got to win our next three.” goes. Six is the number.
Meaning, win all three to assure themselves a place in the All three teams play Tuesday and only the Canes are on the
Stanley Cup playoffs. Three wins would do it. No suspense road, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Blue Jackets
that way. host the Boston Bruins and the Canadiens host the Tampa
Bay Lightning, the league’s best team.
After a 3-1 loss Sunday to the Pittsburgh Penguins, coupled
with the Columbus Blue Jackets beating the Buffalo Sabres, “I learned a long time ago we’re not getting help,”
the Canes and Blue Jackets swapped wild-card spots -- Brind’Amour said Sunday. “We’re going to have to win our
Columbus moving into the first wild-card position with 94 games, take care of our business and don’t rely on anyone
points and the Canes hold the second wild-card spot with 93. else.”
Just behind: the Montreal Canadiens with 92 points. The Canes, after the Leafs game, close out the season with
a final home game Thursday against New Jersey and a road
game Saturday at Philadelphia.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
Montreal will play Thursday at Washington and then home Carolina on Monday recalled defenseman Haydn Fleury from
Saturday against the Maple Leafs. The Blue Jackets, at least the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL on an emergency basis.
on paper, have the easiest path to the playoffs with a game
Friday against the New York Rangers, then Saturday against A question for the Canes are how they will handle the
the Ottawa Senators -- albeit both games on the road. goaltending. Petr Mrazek is the likely starter against the
Leafs but with the schedule spacing could start all three
The Canes will play Tuesday without defenseman Calvin de games unless Brind’Amour decides to give Curtis
Haan, who left Sunday’s game with an upper-body injury. McElhinney another start.
Preview: Hurricanes at Maple Leafs
Three games remain in 2018-19 regular season De Haan Out, Fleury In
by Michael Smith Hurricanes defenseman Calvin de Haan suffered an upper-
body injury in the second period of Sunday's game in
TORONTO - Just three games remain in the 2018-19 regular Pittsburgh. De Haan did not return to the game and returned
season for the Carolina Hurricanes, who make their first and to Raleigh afterward for further evaluation.
only visit to Toronto to square off with the Maple Leafs.
Haydn Fleury was recalled from Charlotte on Monday. The
The Hurricanes, who still occupy a wild card spot in the 22-year-old defenseman has posted assists in each of his
Eastern Conference, are looking to rebound from a 3-1 loss last four AHL games and will likely pair with Trevor van
to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Riemsdyk on the Canes' blue line.
Controlling Destiny The Last Meeting
Three teams separated by two points. Two playoff spots. The Maple Leafs twice visited Raleigh in the first half of the
Three games remaining. season, and their most recent stop was in the midst of a
That's what this comes down to. disappointing December for the Hurricanes. Justin Williams
tallied a power-play goal to tie the game at one in the in the
Fortunately for the Hurricanes, they're on the right side of the second period, but the Leafs answered just over a minute
playoff cut line, even despite dropping a 3-1 decision in later and stretched their lead in the third period in a 4-1 win
Pittsburgh on Sunday. They trail Columbus by a point for the on Dec. 11.
first wild card seed, and, on the outside looking in, Montreal
trails the Canes by a point. The Opposition
The road ahead is simple: win and you're in. The Maple Leafs clinched a playoff berth with a 2-1 win over
the New York Islanders on Monday night. Former Islander
"We know where we're at," Justin Faulk said. "We know John Tavares scored his 46th goal of the season early in the
every point matters right now." third period, and that held up as the game-winner. Toronto,
"We're not getting help," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. who has three games remaining in the regular season, will
"We're going to have to win our games, that's just it. Take square off with the Boston Bruins in the first round of the
care of our business and don't rely on anybody else." Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Hurricanes have lost consecutive games in regulation WORTH A CLICK
just twice in 2019. They'll look to avoid suffering the same News
fate a third time - and twice in the last week - when they visit
the Toronto Maple Leafs. Push for the Playoffs: Three of a Kind
"We've got to flush it … and come back Tuesday ready to Recap: Canes Defeated by Penguins
play," Jaccob Slavin said after Sunday's loss. "Only a couple Canes Recall Fleury from Charlotte
games left. Nothing to save it for. We've got to get to the
playoffs." VideosCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
Highlights: PIT 3, CAR 1 WATCH, LISTEN & STREAM
Gameday Links Watch: FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports GO
Cool Bars: Brier Creek Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes app, Hurricanes.com/Listen
First Goal Contest presented by Kayem
Push for the Playoffs: Three of a Kind
Canes could clinch playoff berth at home on Thursday favoring the Canes. A magic number of six points would
ensure a postseason appearance regardless of the
by Michael Smith tiebreaker scenarios.
TORONTO - With just three games remaining in the 2018-19 Either way, the earliest the Canes could clinch a playoff berth
regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes are in the thick of a is now Thursday, April 4.
playoff race that could come right down to the wire.
Hurricanes' Playoff Chances
Despite a loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday, a failure to gain
ground in the wild card race, the Hurricanes still occupy a The Hurricanes' postseason chances have taken a hit since
playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and are in control of this time a week ago, but the odds remain in the team's favor
their destiny heading into the first week of April. since they currently sit above the cut line.
"We've got to flush it … and come back Tuesday ready to Money Puck: 77.3 percent
play," Jaccob Slavin said after Sunday's loss. "Only a couple
games left. Nothing to save it for. We've got to get to the The Athletic ($): 78.78 percent
playoffs." Hockey Reference: 77.6 percent
"We're not getting help," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Sports Club Stats: 78 percent
prior to Sunday's game. "We're going to have to win our
games, that's just it. Take care of our business and don't rely If the Season Ended Today
on anybody else." If the regular season ended today, here's how playoff match-
Down to the Wire ups would shake out in the Eastern Conference.
The Hurricanes defeated Philadelphia on Saturday night, but Metropolitan Division
Montreal beat Winnipeg and Columbus defeated Nashville to Washington (1) vs. Columbus (WC1)
keep pace in the wild card race. On Sunday, while the Canes
stumbled in Pittsburgh, Columbus took care of business NY Islanders (2) vs. Pittsburgh (3)
against Buffalo. As a result, the Canes slipped to the second
Atlantic Division
wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 93 points and
three games remaining. Sandwiching the Canes in the Tampa Bay (1) vs. Carolina (WC2)
standings are Columbus in the first wild card spot (94 points,
three games remaining) and Montreal just on the outside Boston (2) vs. Toronto (3)
looking in (92 points, three games remaining). Pittsburgh essentially ensured they will finish in the top three
Things, well, they're pretty tight. in the Metropolitan Division with their win over the Hurricanes
on Sunday. Assuming the Canes remain above the cut line,
The Hurricanes' magic number could be five: any then, they'll likely finish in one of the two wild card spots.
combination of five points gained by the Canes or lost by the According to Money Puck, the team has a 46 percent chance
team with the ninth-best points potential in the Eastern of retaining the second wild card seed and a 27 percent
Conference (currently Montreal) could clinch a playoff berth chance of trading places in the standings with Columbus for
for the Canes, but that's contingent upon the tiebreaker still the first wild card seed.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
Toronto faces conference rival Carolina
By The Associated Presstoday TOP PERFORMERS: John Tavares leads the Maple Leafs
with 46 goals, adding 41 assists and totaling 87 points.
Carolina Hurricanes (43-29-7, fifth in the Metropolitan Auston Matthews has six goals and five assists over the last
Division) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (46-26-7, third in the 10 games for Toronto.
Atlantic Division)
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 5-5-0, averaging 2.5 goals,
Toronto; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT 4.3 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.3 penalty minutes while
BOTTOM LINE: Toronto faces Carolina in Eastern giving up 2.4 goals per game with a .916 save percentage.
Conference action. Maple Leafs: 4-4-2, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.3 assists, 2.6
The Maple Leafs are 23-14-2 at home. Toronto serves 6.2 penalties and six penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals
penalty minutes per game, the fewest in the Eastern per game with a .885 save percentage.
Conference. Zach Hyman leads them averaging 1.0. Maple Leafs Injuries: Jake Muzzin: day to day (illness), Jake
The Hurricanes are 20-16-3 in road games. Carolina leads Gardiner: day to day (undisclosed), Andreas Johnsson: day
the NHL shooting 34.6 shots per game while averaging 2.9 to day (illness).
goals. In their last meeting on Dec. 11, Toronto won 4-1. Hurricanes Injuries: None listed.
William Nylander recorded a team-high two assists for the
Maple Leafs in the victory.
Brind'Amour on wild-card race: 'We're not getting help'
TSN.ca Staff Hurricanes outshot the Penguins 38-28 on Sunday as they
lost for the third time in four games.
The Carolina Hurricanes enter the final week of the season
with just a one-point lead over the Montreal Canadiens for The Hurricanes have three games remaining in their season
the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. and begin their final stretch on Tuesday on the road against
the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Hurricanes fell 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on
Sunday and were jumped in the wild-card race by the "We've got to flush it… and come back Tuesday ready to
Columbus Blue Jackets, who picked up their fifth straight play," defenceman Jaccob Slavin said. "Only a couple
victory. games left. Nothing to save it for. We've got to get to the
playoffs."
"We're not getting help," Hurricanes head coach
Rod Brind'Amour said prior to Sunday's loss. "We're going to It appears Carolina may have to make their final push
have to win our games, that's just it. Take care of our without defenceman Calvin de Haan after he left Sunday's
business and don't rely on anybody else." game with an upper-body injury.
“We’ve got to win our next three,” he added post-game. "I haven't talked to the trainers yet, but I think he's going
home, so it's not good," Brind'Amour said after the game.
Brind'Amour said a poor start cost the Hurricanes on
Sunday, but he credited the team for continuing to battle De Haan, 27, has one goal and 14 points in 74 games this
after falling behind 3-0 early in the third period. The season.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
Carolina cannot afford let-up with three games remaining
Field Level Media Toronto is coming off a three-game road trip in which it went
1-1-1, but the Maple Leafs hold a 23-14-2 record in home
As much as Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour games.
likes to emphasize the importance of focusing on the next
game, there's a bigger picture for his team. The Hurricanes had a chance to make a bid for the third-
place position in the Metropolitan Division, but that was
"We've got to pick the pieces up," Brind'Amour said. "We've pretty much dashed with Sunday's 3-1 loss at Pittsburgh.
got to win our next three."
Carolina has lost three of its last four games for its roughest
The first of those three comes Tuesday night at Toronto. stretch since December.
The Hurricanes are a point behind the Columbus Blue "I'm certain we'll bounce back," Brind'Amour told reporters.
Jackets for the Eastern Conference's first wild-card spot, but
a point ahead of the Montreal Canadiens for the second The Hurricanes have been pointing out the past couple of
spot. Each of the teams has three games remaining. weeks that they need to take care of their business and to
not expect help in regard to results from other games.
The Maple Leafs are in the third-place spot in the Atlantic
Division, and their playoff spot was clinched with Monday Now, they've reached this critical juncture as they try to end
night's 2-1 victory at the New York Islanders. the NHL's longest playoff drought. The Hurricanes haven't
qualified for the postseason since 2009.
"It's great to punch your ticket," Toronto center John Tavares
told reporters after the game. "You work so hard all year to "Nothing to save it for," Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin
give yourself a chance. Every opportunity, you want to take said. "We've got to get to the playoffs."
advantage of it. It's great to be in it."
The Hurricanes sent defenseman Calvin de Haan back to
Toronto will be in the postseason for the third year in a row. Raleigh, N.C., after he sustained an upper-body injury in the
And while the Maple Leafs have reached a certain threshold, Pittsburgh game. The team recalled defenseman Haydn
that doesn't mean they're content. Fleury from Charlotte of the American Hockey League.
"There's a lot of good going on," Tavares said, though Tavares recorded his career-high 87th point of the season
realizing that the Maple Leafs have gone through a rather with a goal Monday night.
ragged stretch. "We're trying to get some better results. It
doesn't take very much to put yourself in a tough spot." This will be the third meeting of the season between the
Hurricanes and Maple Leafs, though the first in Toronto.
Toronto was 3-5-2 across the final three weeks of March so Carolina won 5-2 and on Nov. 21 and Toronto prevailed 4-1
there has been the desire to get things fixed before the on Dec. 11.
shortcomings are too costly.
--Field Level Media
"We've got a couple more opportunities to prepare and get
our game in shape and be ready," defenseman Morgan
Rielly said.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: Game Preview and Storm Advisory
The Hurricanes take on the Maple Leafs in their last non- Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019 - 7:30 PM
divisional game of the NHL season.
Scotiabank Arena - Toronto, ON
By Andrew Ahr
TV: Fox Sports Carolinas
Carolina Hurricanes (43-29-7) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (45- Radio: 99.9 The Fan
26-7)CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
SBN Opponent: Pension Plan Puppets Goaltender #2
The Hurricanes come off of a disappointing loss on Sunday
night in Pittsburgh to take on the Maple Leafs in Toronto. Category Curtis McElhinney Garrett Sparks
Tonight’s game is nearly a must win in order for the Canes
reclaim the WC1 spot from the Blue Jackets.
Record 19-11-2 8-8-1
Vital Statistics
Save % .912 .901
Category Hurricanes Maple Leafs
GAA 2.57 3.15
Record 43-29-7 45-26-7
Points 93 97 Game Notes
The Hurricanes and Maple Leafs are meeting for the third
Division Rank 5 Metro 3 Atlantic and final game of the season. The Canes are 1-1-0 against
Toronto this season.
Conference Rank 8 EC 5 EC
11 different Hurricanes players picked up points in the
November 21st win over the Maple Leafs.
Last 10 Games 5-5-0 3-5-2
The Maple Leafs clinched a playoff berth and at least the
third spot in the Atlantic Division last night with a win over the
Streak Lost 1 Lost 1 Islanders. There’s still a chance that they could overtake the
Bruins for the second spot in the division.
Goals/Game 2.94 3.55 The Hurricanes’ 93 points thus far this season is just the
fourth time that the franchise has reached the milestone. The
Goals Against/Game 2.73 3.03 last time that they crested 93 points was in the 2008-09
season.
Shots/Game 34.6 33.3 Almost all of the relevant teams are in action tonight, so
definitely keep an eye on the league scoreboard.
Shots Against/Game 28.5 33.0 Storm Advisory
Is this a bad April Fools joke, or real?
Faceoff % 49.2% 53.2%
Speaking of April Fools, this is definitely not real. [Pension
Plan Puppets]
Power Play % (Rank) 17.3% (20) 22.2% (8)
Tampa Bay is making history.
Penalty Kill % (Rank) 81.8% (7) 80.7% (T13) The Devils / Rangers rivalry is alive and well.
Stalking the Standings
ES Corsi For % 54.98% 51.82%
Tonight is absolutely huge for the Hurricanes. A win would
go a long way in ensuring an eventual playoff berth and
ES PDO 99.1 102.0% afford them a chance to leapfrog Columbus. A loss could
push them out of the WC2 spot if Montreal is able to pick up
PIM/Game 7:34 6:13 a win against Tampa Bay.
Metro 1: Washington Capitals: 79 GP, 102 points, 106 pt
Goaltender #1 pace, 43 ROW
Metro 2: New York Islanders: 80 GP, 99 points, 102 pt pace,
Category Petr Mrazek Frederik Andersen 42 ROW
Metro 3: Pittsburgh Penguins: 79 GP, 97 points, 101 pt pace,
Record 21-14-3 35-15-6 41 ROW
WC 1: Columbus Blue Jackets: 79 GP, 94 points, 98 pt pace,
Save % .911 .917 44 ROW
WC 2: Carolina Hurricanes: 79 GP, 93 points, 97 pt pace, 41
GAA 2.46 2.78 ROWCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 2, 2019
9th: Montreal Canadiens: 79 GP, 92 points, 95 pt pace, 40 Lighting over Canadiens
ROW
Red Wings over Penguins
Tonight’s Rooting Guide
Bruins over Blue Jackets
Tiebreaker Scenarios for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Eastern Conference playoff race is coming down to the tiebreaker. A shootout win in this situation counts for one
wire with the Hurricanes in the thick of it. We take a look at goal for, while a shootout loss counts for one goal against.
how the playoff tiebreaker scenarios would play out between
the Hurricanes and every other relevant team in the hunt. Tiebreaker Scenarios
By Andrew Ahr Pittsburgh Penguins
It’s the final week of the NHL season and the Carolina After the loss in Pittsburgh last night, it’s hard to imagine a
Hurricanes are in the middle of a race for one of the final scenario in which Carolina end up tied with the Penguins
Wild Card playoff spots. Yes, this is stressful — but above all next weekend. But for the sake of completeness, we’ll
else, it’s fun. If you told me in December that this hockey investigate this. The two teams are currently tied in ROW,
team would be challenging for a Wild Card spot in April, I’d and the Penguins claimed the head-to-head tiebreaker with a
look at you like you were crazy. But here we are! regulation win last night.
The team has had a tough go of it lately against some of the If the Canes somehow end up tied with the Penguins (they’re
best teams in the Eastern Conference. We knew that the four points below Pittsburgh in the standings right now with
brutal March schedule was going to catch up to the club the same number of games played), they’d need to have
eventually, and it unfortunately happened just as competing more ROW in order to win the tiebreaker. The good news
teams picked up steam. A regulation loss last night in here is that if the Canes miraculously closed a four point gap
Pittsburgh made it nearly impossible for Carolina to jump into between themselves and one of the hottest teams in hockey
the top three in the Metro, and also allowed for the Blue over the course of three games, they’d probably come out on
Jackets to leapfrog into the first Wild Card spot. the winning side of ROW too.
With three games left in the season, just two points separate New York Islanders
the Blue Jackets (94 points), Hurricanes (93 points), and So you’re saying there’s a chance? The Islanders currently
Canadiens (92 points) in the standings, and only a pair of sit at second in the Metro and six points ahead of Carolina
those three teams can make the playoffs. In the event of a tie with 99 points in 79 games. If the Islanders somehow lose
in the season ending standings on April 6th, there are a out in regulation and the Hurricanes win out, they’ll be tied in
series of tiebreakers in place. Here they are, in order of points. If at least two of those three Hurricanes wins were in
precedence: regulation, they would own the ROW tiebreaker (Islanders
The first tiebreaker is Regulation and Overtime Wins (ROW). currently sit on 42 to the Hurricanes 41).
When the league moved to a shootout format, they wanted to Let’s say that the Hurricanes won only one of those three
place some more emphasis on winning hockey games final games in regulation with the other two coming in the
before the skills competition. If two teams are tied at the end shootout, and the Islanders still failed to collect any points in
of the season, ROW is the first tiebreaker. their remaining three matchups. In this incredibly unlikely
If teams are also tied in ROW, the next tiebreaker is head-to- scenario, the tiebreaker would go to the Islanders, who easily
head records, meaning the team who earned more points in won the season series with a record of 3-1-0.
head-to-head matchups would win the spot. There’s a caveat Columbus Blue Jackets
here in the event that the tied teams didn’t play the same
amount of head-to-head games against eachother with home The probability of a tie after 82 games with this team is much
ice advantage (example: the Canes played the Sabres three more likely than with the previous two. Unfortunately, the
times this season, twice on home ice). In this situation, the Blue Jackets hold a three game lead in ROW over Carolina.
points earned in the first home game by the team with a If the team was somehow able to win out and close that
greater amount of home games played are excluded from three game ROW gap with Columbus, the head-to-head
the tiebreaker in order to balance the home-ice advantage series is a push with both teams winning twice in regulation
factor. In the event of a three-way tie for a spot, the team in the four game series.
with the highest percentage of available points accrued The goal differential tiebreaker would likely go to Columbus,
against other teams in the group of three would claim the who has a 9 goal lead in differential with a +25 to Carolina’s
spot (the uneven head-to-head home games rule applies in +16. The goal with respect to the Blue Jackets has to be
this case as well). finishing above them in the standings, because tying with
In the event of a tie in points as well as the previous two them in points would almost guarantee losing the tiebreaker.
tiebreakers, the third tiebreaker is goal differential. The Montreal Canadiens
teams with the greater differential between goals for and
goals against for the entire regular season wins theYou can also read
