It wasn’t the prettiest way to make it into the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but a Jani Hakanpaa goal with under five minutes to play tied the game at three and subsequently forced overtime against the Dallas Stars, meaning the Carolina Hurricanes punched their ticket to the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
After two first-period goals from Dallas, one from a near impossible angle and another off of a skate, it looked like it wasn’t going to be the Canes’ night, especially since the game was on national television, where the Hurricanes haven’t had the best of luck this season.