Carolina Hurricanes: Why Their Playoff Hopes Should be High
The Carolina Hurricanes have had what can only be described as an up and down season. However, recently they’ve shown they have what it takes to be in a playoff spot.
It goes without saying that the Carolina Hurricanes are part of the most challenging division in the NHL, the Metropolitan. Even with that being the case, though, they are still only out of a spot by three points as of Dec. 26, with a game in hand.
There are three key things the Hurricanes must do if they want to make the playoffs this season. They’ve already exceeded expectations coming into this season, but they can take it a step further by making the postseason. This is a factor that teams such as the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes do not have, which is why they find themselves in such tough positions.
When the Hurricanes have had rough patches this season, they’ve found ways to get back on their feet. Of course, they haven’t done particularly well against fellow Metropolitan Division rivals, which is cause for concern in the future come playoff time.
But their job right now is to stay focused on the present. The Hurricanes have many more games to play, and that’s what they should concentrate on. Keeping that resiliency will allow them to play to their strengths and learn from their mistakes.
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Looking to the Future
A short while ago, it seemed that the Hurricanes had lost their stride completely. However, they proved the critics wrong, responding with two solid efforts and four more points to their record.
Against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Hurricanes were not able to generate much of anything. Their offense was lacking and their defense was rather non-existent. Not to mention, Scott Darling was simply horrible in goal.
But they did the best thing any team can do after a loss- they shook it off, regrouped, and made a statement in their next game. That statement came in the form of a 4-1 win over the formidable hockey club of the Nashville Predators.
Next: 3 Bold Predictions For The Hurricanes
Letting the System Take its Course
While their record is only 3-5-2 in their past ten games, they have been playing more complete. It’ll simply take time for the system to fully run its course now that they’ve started playing a more structured game.
Partially to blame for this team’s inconsistency is their coaching staff switching up line combinations on the daily. However, they seem to have found a reason to keep things as they are. If they run with it, they shouldn’t have many more obstacles to overcome.