I’ve been covering the Carolina Hurricanes for a long time, and cheering for them for quite a bit longer, so I’ve pretty much seen it all. But tonight is new territory even for a grizzled veteran: a matchup of the NHL’s top two teams at PNC Arena.
From what my (admittedly cursory) research tells me, this is the first time in franchise history that the Hurricanes have played in a 1-vs-2 game this late in the season. The only times it had happened prior to now were much earlier in the year, when a win or a poorly-timed loss can spark significant movement up or down the standings.