Closing Thoughts
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After winning the Southeast Division and making their first playoff appearance in North Carolina, the Hurricanes suffered a setback in the 99-00 season. While their offense showed some improvement, it wasn’t enough to keep pace. As a result, the Hurricanes finished third in the division and missed the postseason for the second time in three years.
The biggest detriment was a lack of offensive depth. They did boast four 20-goal scorers (O’Neill, Kapanen, Francis, Roberts) but the production fell off after that. The good news was that Jeff O’Neill seemed to be coming into his own, Francis has raised his play over the previous season, and Sami Kapanen was still a consistent performer.
To make significant strides, Jim Rutherford would need to add scoring depth and find a suitable backup for Irbe, who was firmly entrenched as the starter.
What do you think the Hurricanes were missing in the 99-00 season? Be sure to stay tuned, I’ll be tackling the 00-01 squad soon!