RALEIGH, N.C. — The game had importance, it really did — regardless of what the rest of North Carolina thought as they were immersed in a National Football League playoff just two and a half hours away.
For the Calgary Flames, paying a visit to the Carolina Hurricanes meant the chance to collect two points against a young team and continue their groove from Thursday's 4-2 win at the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In theory.
Instead, the Hurricanes (22-20-8) kept pounding them at every turn and dealt the Flames (21-22-3) a 5-2 loss at Raleigh's PNC Center.