The All Star Game has come and gone, so what are the top expectations of the Carolina Hurricanes in the proverbial second half of the season?
The Carolina Hurricanes are in a five team dogfight for four different playoff spots that range from second in the Metro division all the way down to the second Wild Card.
While the Washington Capitals seem to have a lock on the division with a whopping 73 points, there is only a seven point difference between the Pittsburgh Penguins at second place all the way down to the Philadelphia Flyers who are sitting a single point down from the Carolina Hurricanes who are occupying the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
That means that the second half of the season is critical for the Carolina Hurricanes and their chances to make the playoffs. It also means that there is a chance to climb up the ranks as well as a chance to fall out and be the one team that could have made it but didn’t. So what can we expect of these Canes in this half of the season?
First of all, this team is made tough. There have only been three players who have had to sit out games for injuries; Trevor Van Riemsdyk, Erik Haula, and more recently, Dougie Hamilton. While the loss of Hamilton stings, there is more than enough talent on this roster to carry this team towards an excellent second half of the season.
Second of all this team has a great number of opportunities to clear itself a way to the playoffs. But what can the fans expect of their team as they take on the final 15 home and 17 away games?