Saturday night’s win over the Toronto Maple Leafs was undoubtedly a feel-good moment for the Carolina Hurricanes. Newly-minted folk hero David Ayres stole the show, becoming the first emergency backup goalie to earn an NHL win. There were, however, dark clouds around the victory.
Injuries claimed both James Reimer and Petr Mrazek, leading to the call-ups of Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg. Star defenseman Brett Pesce was also lost, ensuring that this year’s deadline would be a very interesting one for a Hurricanes team in the middle of a playoff push.