Hurricanes Return to Playoffs with a Vengeance

The second day of April 2025 saw two teams with a chance to join this year's Stanley Cup Playoff party. Four teams already locked in spots, with the most recent team being the Vegas Golden Knights. The Carolina Hurricanes were one of the two teams; they had been making some amazing moves during the year, but they still remained a strong force this season. The Canes had a number of chances earlier in the year, but were unable to punch a ticket in.

On this day, the scenario was an easy one. Just get one point. Getting to overtime will do that. However, the Hurricanes were not content with just one point. No, they wanted no doubts. A three-goal first period against the Washington Capitals. Honestly, that did it. The game was over after the first 20 minutes. Canes made it 4-0 in the 2nd period, but they lost the shutout, as Alex Ovechkin scored his 892nd career goal, moving three goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky. Didn't matter. It was all over but the shouting... and fighting. There was a lot of it in that third period.

The Hurricanes won, 5-1, and for the seventh straight year, they are playoff bound. I still remember when this all started back in 2019. It was a big deal for the Canes, as that year, they ended a decade-long playoff drought. They were one of the two Wild Cards in the East, but they ousted and dethroned the then-defending Stanley Cup Champion Capitals in seven, and swept the New York Islanders to reach the Eastern Conference Final, where they were swept by the Boston Bruins. Despite the sweep, that run exceeded Carolina's expectations big time. The next three seasons wouldn't be as fruitful. A first round exit in the 2020 bubble, and back-to-back second round exits in 2021 and 2022. Then in 2023, Carolina made the Final Four again, and it was their best chance to at least get to the Final. Swept again. And they are coming off being dominated by the New York Rangers last year.

When it comes to the skaters, a lot of the talk is centered on Sebastian Aho, but there's another player who definitely needs to be talked about: Seth Jarvis. Jarvis has really showed out this season; he's second on the team in points with 60, having 30 of each. His 30 goals lead the team, and five of them are shorthanded goals. Yeah. He's a big threat on the PK for sure. The aforementioned Aho leads the team with 70 points, while Shayne Gostisbehere leads Hurricanes defensemen with 43 points, with only seven of them being goals.

The net has been a mixed bag, but per usual, it's been Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen leading the charge. Kochetkov is 26-13-3 with a 2.54 GAA, a .901 SV%, and two shutouts. Andersen has at 13-5 record with a miniscule 1.95 GAA, a .920 SV%, and a shutout. The duo has been a dominant one for Carolina for going on four seasons now.

This playoff appearance comes after the Hurricanes actually dealt Martin Necas and Jack Drury to the Colorado Avalanche for Mikko Rantanen, and it was a three team deal that included the Chicago Blackhawks, who gave Taylor Hall to the Canes. Rantanen's time in Raleigh was short-lived, and he was dealt to Dallas for Logan Stankoven, and he's been quite a key player in the little time he's been in Carolina. So with all of that, the Hurricanes are part of the NHL's Sweet 16, but the goal is an important one: get that second Cup. I had said that last year could be their last chance, but what will happen to the team if this year sees them fall short, or even regress?