Hurricanes Clinch Playoff Spot; Remain in Two Tight Races

On April 7, 2022, the Carolina Hurricanes joined the Florida Panthers and the Colorado Avalanche as playoff teams this season, doing so with their 5-3 comeback victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Not only did the Hurricanes clinch a spot in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they also reached 100 points for only the 2nd time in franchise history. I'm not just talking about the Hurricanes' history, I mean overall. The Hurricanes began play in the World Hockey Association as the New England Whalers in 1972, and joined the NHL as the Hartford Whalers in 1979, and in that time, the Whalers never had a 100-point season. The Whalers moved to North Carolina and became the Hurricanes, and they achieved their first (and only other) 100-point season during the 2005-06 season (112 points), which saw them win the Stanley Cup.

For the Hurricanes, this is their fourth straight playoff appearance. The 2018-19 season was their first playoff appearance in a decade, and it saw them go on a long run; winning the Metropolitan Division bracket by defeating the then-defending champion Washington Capitals (seven games) and the New York Islanders (sweep), but the Eastern Conference Final saw them swept by the Boston Bruins. In the 2019-20 season, the Hurricanes won their Qualifying Round series over the New York Rangers, but the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals saw them defeated again by the Bruins. The shortened 2020-21 season saw the Hurricanes in the localized Central Division, where they finished in first place, but they were unable to win the Central's playoff bracket, as the Division Finals saw them eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Hurricanes are looking to make a statement in this appearance, but before that, they have not one, but two close races that they have to deal with. One of them is the Metropolitan Division, which has been close from the get-go. The Hurricanes, Penguins, and Rangers represent the top 3 in the Metropolitan, and they are separated by eight points. Carolina is barely ahead of Pittsburgh, and while the Rangers are becoming distanced from the other two, they can be capable of making up ground and getting close to first place. In this current (mostly) division-based playoff format, first place means home-ice advantage in the first two rounds (at least), as well as playing one of the two Wild Cards in Round 1. Any team wants that advantage.

Not only are the Hurricanes in a tight division race, they are in an even tighter race for the Presidents' Trophy. The Hurricanes became the third team to reach 100 points, but they are closely behind the Atlantic-leading Florida Panthers, and the Central-leading Colorado Avalanche in the race for the league's best record. The Hurricanes have never won the Presidents' Trophy in their entire history. But that's not on their minds. The goal for the Hurricanes, as it is for all of the NHL's franchises, is the Stanley Cup. From what I've seen in the last four years, this year appears to be Carolina's best chance at a Cup. What really helped was the acquisition of a player who has recent experience: Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Kotkaniemi was part of the Montréal Canadiens' amazing Cup Final run in 2021, and he has fit in well on a team full of star players such as Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Nino Niederreiter, and Jordan Staal.

So with that, three spots are locked in--one in the Atlantic, one in the Central, and one in the Metropolitan, with the Pacific Division still waiting for a playoff team. The Hurricanes have been capable of long runs in the past, we'll see if this year will turn out well for Carolina.

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