Carolina Hurricanes: Playoff hopes rising as Ferland love abounds

The Carolina Hurricanes kept their playoff push going with an exciting and well-deserved 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators in yesterday’s matinee game. Canes fans are now daring to dream about seeing playoff hockey in Raleigh for the first time in a decade.

This is slowly becoming quite the season for the Carolina Hurricanes. Seven wins from eight games has seen the team creep to within four points of a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference of the NHL; Sebastian Aho has stepped up a gear, and is dragging his linemates with him as the team has suddenly discovered it can score goals. Micheal Ferland is back to his best – just ask Austin Watson – and the powerplay is scoring goals. Rod Brind’Amour is loving life, attendance at PNC Arena is booming, and suddenly there is a real prospect of the team avoiding tying the NHL record for its playoff drought.

While there is more hard work to be done – the team still isn’t in a playoff spot, after all – it’s clear to see that there is significant chemistry in that locker room right now. Aho, Ferland and Teuvo Teravainen are taking lots of the praise for their recent scoring surge, but let’s not forget the contributions of some of the team’s other players. Captain Justin Williams is in the form of his career: he has goals in five consecutive games (a career high), and is on a seven-game point streak. The defense is scoring goals, and making quality passes. We’re getting depth scoring from the likes of Saku Maenalanen and Greg McKegg. There is very little going wrong right now for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Last night was a prime example of how everything is clicking for Rod Brind’Amour and his team. Sebastian Aho scored an even-strength goal, a powerplay goal and a shorthanded goal. Williams also had a PP goal. Four Canes defensemen had assists. Lucas Wallmark and Maenalanen had goals. About the only blemish was a shorty allowed while on a powerplay, but when you score six goals, you’re never losing a game.

Everything went right yesterday. The fans were there in abundance – 16,347 of them – and the team scored six goals in a game for the first time since October 7th, when they hammered the Rangers 8-5. Those same New York Rangers are up next, and the Carolina Hurricanes are looking for their first win in Madison Square Garden in 16 attempts. Can the Canes win their first game at MSG since October 27th 2010? On this form, you simply can’t bet against them.

Forget the games, just sign Ferland!

No discussion of the Carolina Hurricanes’ continued good form can avoid looking at the growing concern amongst Canes fans about the future of the team’s first-line forward, Micheal Ferland. Since being linked with a trade over a week ago, Ferland’s name has been linked with several Stanley Cup contenders, with the rumored price being a 1st round pick and prospect.

While that’s a nice price for a rental, no Carolina Hurricanes fan wants to see Ferland depart, and every single Tom Dundon twitter post is now swarmed with Canes fans demanding Ferland be signed at all costs.

Even if the Canes make no moves ahead of the trade deadline, signing Ferland to a long-term extension would be a huge move and would signify that Dundon listens to the fan base. With Dougie Hamilton‘s return to health and form, Greg McKegg‘s arrival and a Ferland extension, the Canes would take real momentum heading into the business end of the season.

The Carolina Hurricanes have five games before the All-Star Game break, with a key game against Metro Division rivals the New York Rangers followed by four Canadian adversaries. If the Canes can keep winning games, then the ASG break will provide the perfect break for the team to gather renewed focus and break the team’s nine-year playoff drought.