RALEIGH, N.C. -- Smoke from pulled pork and burgers on grills wafted through the parking lots outside PNC Arena. The cars blasted Kanye West and country music. The fans parked some four to five hours before the Carolina Hurricanes dropped the puck for their first playoff game in a decade, and played cornhole, drank beers, and wheeled pigs (yes, real pigs) in wooden wagons.
As center Jordan Staal pulled into his usual parking spot at the arena, he couldn't help but smile.
"I've been waiting a long time for this," Staal said. "It was so cool to see.