Cardiac Cane
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Carolina Hurricanes Playoffs: The Battle Begins

By Dean Plunkett

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**Current standings updated at 6:00 pm to reflect afternoon games. The Detroit Red Wings are now in the mix too.**

As it stands right now there are ten teams in the Eastern Conference, separated by only twelve points from top to bottom, all battling for the playoff spots.

These teams are jockeying for one of six post-season positions, either in their Division or as a wild card in the conference. Our Carolina Hurricanes, in the Metropolitan Division, are battling over four of these six spots.

Including last night’s game against the Penguins, the Hurricanes have 28 games left in the season. Half of the Hurricanes remaining games are against the other 9 teams in this epic battle. That means that half of the Canes remaining games in the 2015-2016 NHL season are the proverbial “4-point games”. The success or failure of the other teams will also greatly affect the Hurricanes chances.

One game, one period, one shift, one shot, one save, one penalty, one goal. All could have HUGE implications on the Canes playoff chances.

More from Cardiac Cane – Canes Lose 2nd Straight Game in Shootout

It will be vital for the Canes and their fans to keep an eye on what the other nine teams are up to in their final playoff runs. Team Cardiac Cane will endeavor to bring you the latest news and updates from all of these teams as the Hurricanes fight for one of those coveted post-season spots that have eluded them for the last six seasons.

Current Standings: Saturday, February 13
(The links will take you to the FanSided/Sports Illustrated team site.)

New York Rangers – 68 points – 2nd in Metro
New York Islanders – 64 points – 3rd in Metro
Boston Bruins – 66 points – 2nd in Atlantic
Detroit Red Wings – 65 points – 3rd in Atlantic
Tampa Bay Lightning – 64 points – 1st Wild Card
Pittsburgh Penguins – 63 points – 2nd Wild Card
New Jersey Devils – 61 points
Philadelphia Flyers – 58 points
Carolina Hurricanes – 58 points
Montreal Canadiens – 58 points
Ottawa Senators – 56 points

Latest in the Eastern Conference: Friday, February 12

Pittsburgh Penguins @ Carolina Hurricanes – 1-2 Final (SO)

  • Just like Sunday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens it was a true goalie duel. The Hurricanes struggled to solve Marc Andre Fleury, but it wasn’t because of a lack of effort. They had a lot of high danger scoring chances but just couldn’t finish.
  • Jeff Skinner played a marvelous offensive game, playing with a high motor and constantly possessing the puck in the Penguins zone. In front of his parents, Andrej Nestrasil played another great game on Carolina’s second line with 4 shots and the big game-tying-goal late in regulation.
  • The absence of Justin Faulk was very apparent for the Hurricanes. Their powerplay faltered without their quarterback.
  • Noah Hanifin was all over the ice, showing off his great skating ability, and he was effective on both sides of the puck.
  • They gained a big point, but at this point of the season, they can no longer settle for just a point. They needed an extra point, but they just couldn’t pull it out on Friday.

New York Rangers vs Los Angeles Kings – 4-5 Final (OT)

  • Rangers let the Kings come back in the final period to beat them 5-4 in OT.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Nashville Predators – 4-3 Final (OT)

  • Predators let the lead slip away with less than a minute left, and the Lightning won in OT.

Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres – 4-6 Final

  • Sabres topped the Canadiens 6-4, but the Habs showed heart.

Today in the Eastern Conference: Saturday, February 13

New York Islanders @ Carolina Hurricanes – 7:00 pm (EST)

  • This weekend is big for the Hurricanes. They are 5 points out of the final playoff spot in the East.
  • Carolina Hurricanes have gone 1-1-2 since the beginning of February.
  • Star defenseman Justin Faulk was injured in Thursday’s practice and he is listed at day-to-day.
  • Jordan Staal  has tallied 16 points and a +13 over 15 games – Andrej Nestrasil‘s goal on Friday gave him 9 points in his last 13 games.
  • Isles are on a three game win streak, led by All-Star center John Tavares, currently on a four-game point streak (3 goals, 4 assists).
  • Team success this year has been largely thanks to their stellar goaltending duo of Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss.

New Jersey Devils @ Philadelphia Flyers – 2-1 Final (OT)

  • The Devils held a 1-0 lead late into the 3rd, but the Flyers Shayne Gostisbehere ruined their regulation win. With the help of goalie Cory Schneider, though, they pulled off the OT win..

Boston Bruins @ Minnesota Wild – 4-2 Final

Ottawa Senators @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 7:00 pm (EST)

  • Columbus might be riding high after coming back from a 2-goal deficit against Anaheim on Thursday, and closing the deal with a shootout win.
  • Senators are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Avalanche where all 7 goals were scored either on the power play or with an extra skater on the ice.

Up Coming in the Eastern Conference: Sunday, February 14

New Jersey Devils vs Kings – 12:30 pm (EST)

Boston Bruins @ Detroit Red Wings – 3:30 pm (EST)

Tampa Bay Lightning vs St. Louis Blues – 6:00 pm (EST)

Philadelphia Flyers @ New York Rangers – 7:30 pm (EST)

Next: Hurricanes' Top Trade Targets

The Hurricanes are smack-dab in the middle of this epic Eastern Conference Battle for playoff spots. As each game ends, the standings will be different than they were when the game started, and each team will have a clearer picture of what they need to do next. For the Hurricanes it will be earning those vital two points every night.

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