The Carolina Hurricanes’ 2019-20 schedule has been out for a few weeks now, but there are quite a few games that stand out given the events that have unfolded over the course of the end of the 2018-19 season and the following offseason.
A less-than-stellar start to the season left most of us concerned that 2018-19 would be yet another doldrum season, with more of the same floundering that we had become accustomed to over the decade of missing that the Hurricanes and us ever-faithful fans had struggled through.
Boy, were we wrong. A blistering run throughout the latter half of the season left all of us in awe at how far the Carolina Hurricanes had come in such a short time.
Boasting the 2nd best record in the league after December 31st (behind President’s Trophy-winning Tampa Bay), the Hurricanes picked themselves up by the fight straps and dragged themselves, us, and an exceptional Pig right out of the mire of mediocrity and into the postseason spotlight. They also managed to break the Madison Square Garden curse by finally defeating the New York Rangers in Manhattan.
A thrilling 1st Round against none other than division rivals (and defending Stanley Cup champs), the Washington Capitals, ensured that we were all glued to the edge of our seats every night to see how the Canes would fare in their first playoff berth in a decade.
Needless to say, they ended up defeating the Caps in Game 7 in the 1st Round, sweeping the New York Islanders in the 2nd Round, before eventually succumbing to the Boston Bruins in 4 games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
All of these things, coupled with some offseason moves, a laughably ridiculous offer-sheet attempt at a franchise player, and various other bits of unfinished business from the 2018-19 season have set the stage for quite a few electric matchups involving the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2019-20 season.