Carolina Hurricanes: The Panic Button

RALEIGH, NC - DECEMBER 2: Jeff Skinner #53 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates after scoring a goal during an NHL game against the Florida Panthers on December 2, 2017 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - DECEMBER 2: Jeff Skinner #53 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates after scoring a goal during an NHL game against the Florida Panthers on December 2, 2017 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
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TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 19: Connor Carrick #8 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates after scoring on Scott Darling #33 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at the Air Canada Centre on December 19, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 19: Connor Carrick #8 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates after scoring on Scott Darling #33 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at the Air Canada Centre on December 19, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

Part 2: Pushing the Panic Button

“Oh, quiet you. If you’re honestly buying that, you’ve been fooled. We are currently (as we have been) being stunted by incompetent management and under-performing players. This is happening, year after year, and no one is doing anything about it. It’s time to-

“Don’t say it!”

“It’s time to push the panic button.”

Lightning strikes in the background. Glasses tip ov- oh wait. Uh, a hurricane roars in the background. Glasses tip over, and people are screaming. Something big is taking place. An age-long debate is occurring. Is it time to push the panic button? The bartender, who rarely speaks looks into the direction of the two men. The bartender proceeds to talk.

“The panic button you say?”

The original speaker rises.

“The panic button!”

The bartender walks over to this mysterious man. His strange black jersey possesses a strange resemblance to a droopy rose, thinks the bartender.

“So… what do you mean by, the panic button?”

“Well the Carolina Hurricanes-”

“Hockey!”

A disappointed murmur arises from the rest of the crowd, and the roar of the hurricane subsides. Increasingly angry, black jersey guy turns back to his comrade.

“Look. I don’t want to sound like an old traditionalist here, but these decade-long rebuilds just don’t work. Look what this brilliant rebuilding pla

n brought the Edmonton Oilers. This is the fate of our team. A bottom-dweller, who remains a bottom-dweller, pretending we’re rebuilding in an invalid attempt to please our shrinking fanbase.”

“You make a good point.”

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