And now for the hangover.
The Cinderella story authored by emergency backup goalie David Ayres in last night’s Carolina Hurricanes win over the Toronto Maple Leafs wallpapered over the sobering reality that the Canes went down three regulars in the span of one game, including one who could change the deadline-day calculus for general manager Don Waddell prior to 3:00 Monday. With one day to go before the trade deadline, suddenly everything is turned upside down and the Hurricanes find themselves in a position they never expected, all while trying to navigate an airtight playoff race.