Just 12 games into the season the Hurricanes sit at 6-5-1. A start like this wouldn’t normally be considered bad, especially for a team that’s historically struggled getting the wheels moving in the early weeks of the season. So no, an October in which the Canes escape one game over hockey .500 certainly isn’t season-damning.
But just two-and-a-half weeks ago, the Hurricanes came out of a matchup in St. Paul, Minnesota with a shootout win that carried them to 4-0-1 and the most points in the league. Their record in the seven games suceeding that electric win?