The Carolina Hurricanes are in a five team dogfight for four different playoff spots that range from second in the Metro division all the way down to the second Wild Card.
While the Washington Capitals seem to have a lock on the division with a whopping 73 points, there is only a seven point difference between the Pittsburgh Penguins at second place all the way down to the Philadelphia Flyers who are sitting a single point down from the Carolina Hurricanes who are occupying the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
That means that the second half of the season is critical for the Carolina Hurricanes and their chances to make the playoffs.