Stand Back! The Hurricanes Are Coming Through!

Hard to believe that it's been 25 years since the Hartford Whalers moved from Connecticut to Raleigh, North Carolina and became the Carolina Hurricanes. The Whalers' relocation to Raleigh made them the 3rd straight team to move, following the footsteps of the Quebec Nordiques in 1995 (becoming the Colorado Avalanche) and the original Winnipeg Jets in 1996 (becoming the Phoenix Coyotes). In the quarter-century they've played in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes have enjoyed a level of success that they never had in Hartford, which included two trips to the Stanley Cup Final in 2002 and 2006, with the latter year seeing them hoist the Cup.

The Hurricanes enjoyed a deep playoff run in 2009, reaching the Eastern Conference Final, where they were defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, that's where the positives took a huge break--no playoffs for a full decade until finally making it as one of the Eastern Conference's two Wild Cards in 2019, where they won the Metropolitan Division bracket and reached the Eastern Conference Final, only to be swept by the Boston Bruins. That year served as the first of three straight playoff appearances, and after a first round exit in 2020, the Hurricanes finished first in the localized Central Division in the shortened 2020-21 season, but ended up ousted by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

So what are we seeing from the Hurricanes this year? Dominance. Consistency from both ends. Loads of goal scoring talent. Dare I say it, the Carolina Hurricanes are a powerhouse. They've never been a powerhouse; they certainly weren't as the Hartford Whalers. But this season's team is hitting on all cylinders. They've led the Metropolitan Division for most of the season, and they are in the Presidents' Trophy race with the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. How have they reached this point? Here are the answers.

The Hurricanes are led by Sebastian Aho, who is leading the team in goals (27), assists (34), and points (61). He also has 23 power play points (12 of them goals), but that does not lead the team. That honor goes to his fellow countryman, Teuvo Teravainen, who has 25 power play points out of his 47 total. Teravainen's 47 points are third on the team; Andrei Svechnikov is second on the team with 54 points (23 G/31 A). Leading Carolina's blueliners is Tony DeAngelo with 40 points (9 G/31 A), but close behind is Jaccob Slavin with 31 points (3 G/28 A).

Regarding team stats, the Hurricanes are scoring 3.31 goals per game, which is ninth in the league. Their power play is also in the top 10; their 24.2 PP% is seventh in the league. As for their penalty kill, it's tops in the league. Carolina has killed 89.1% of their penalties. No one has a higher percentage. The only flaw in Carolina's PK is their shorthanded goals total; not only do they only have two shorties, but Teuvo Teravainen has both of them. Only the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild (one each) have fewer shorthanded goals.

The main centerpiece for the Hurricanes' season has been in net, in the form of Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta. We know Andersen's story; all those years in Toronto, leading the way for the Maple Leafs in net, but receiving a lot of (undeserved) blame for their playoff losses. Once Jack Campbell's stock rose in net for the Leafs, Andersen became expendable, and he would end up with the Hurricanes. And just like a number of players happen to do when they get out of Toronto, Andersen flourished. His numbers so far: 30-9-2, a .928 SV%, a 2.08 GAA, and 3 shutouts. He is in the top five in Wins (tied for 2nd), Save Percentage (tied for 3rd), and Goals Against Average (2nd).

As for Antti Raanta, both he and Darcy Kuemper escaped Arizona and are doing well on their respective teams. Raanta's numbers: 10-4-3, a .918 SV%, and a 2.32 GAA. Raanta has two shutouts, including being the only goaltender to shutout the Avalanche this season. The efforts of Andersen and Raanta have resulted in the Hurricanes having the top GAA in the NHL at 2.37. Absolutely amazing.

Despite being third overall in the league's standings, the Hurricanes aren't considered much of a threat to win the Cup. The Avalanche are the main favorites of course, as are the defending back-to-back champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Yet the Vegas Golden Knights are more favored over Carolina despite barely being above the playoff line. The bottom line is this: the Carolina Hurricanes are not a team to be taken lightly. I don't know how much noise they'll make in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but I do know this: it'll be a lot of it.

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