Why the Hurricanes leave a lot to be desired heading into playoffs
The Carolina Hurricanes are 45-19-6 with 96 points through 70 games, first in both the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference.
However, the Hurricanes have had less than stellar results in the last near decade. While they’ve recorded at least 110 regular-season points three times and have made the Eastern Conference Final in three of the last seven seasons, they have failed to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discuss Carolina’s lack of playoff success and what could be the reason for it.
Tyler Yaremchuk: My very-surface-level take on the Hurricanes and why they flame out every year is because, in the regular season, their big differentiator is how well they’re coached and how Rod Brind’Amour has that team working their bag off every single night. They play just really disciplined hockey. I think those two things are huge keys to their success throughout the course of 82 games.
But you get to the playoffs, and this is why we talk about them not having true game-breaking, game-changing players up front in that lineup, but you get to the playoffs, and everyone is really dialled into their systems, everybody is putting in max effort. Home crowds are fuelling teams a little bit more.
I just think in the regular season, the Hurricanes have this ability to outwork and play in this perfect structure that other teams don’t seem to get to. But when you get to the playoffs, everyone’s effort matches their level and everyone’s system gets dialled in more. That’s why you see the Hurricanes fall back in the playoffs.
Carter Hutton: I totally agree with you in the sense of when you get to the playoffs, everything is heightened. There’s so much more awareness. That’s where it comes down to the sustainability of playing that way. I always laughed last year during the 4 Nations Face-Off when my buddies would say “I wish every NHL game was like this.”
Well there’s no possible way you could play 82 games with that type of effort and physicality or everything that goes into it. You wouldn’t have a season because everyone would be injured.
It comes down to winning moments and you need game-breaking players that can buck through the filth and how hard it is to check. Also, the reffing changes in the playoffs, too. There’s more liberties taken and there’s more stick work and more hooking and there’s no time or space. It’s those defining moments by the really skilled players that change it.
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…