District of Carolina?
I'm sure you've heard that the Carolina Hurricanes were not a very good road team. In fact, they were the worst road team among the 16 playoff teams this season. In the first round, the Canes defied all the skeptics by winning Game 4 in New Jersey to push the Devils to the brink of elimination. In the second round, they upped the ante.
With Washington controlling home ice for the series as the Eastern Conference's top team, the Canes had to start the series on the road. For most of Game 1, it looked like they were going to get goalied. Instead, Logan Stankoven tied the game in the third period, allowing Jaccob Slavin to stun the crowd in overtime. While they lost Game 2, earning the split to start the series was crucial to their advancing.
Admittedly, I had low expectations that they'd close it out in D.C. in Game 5. Part of me hoped they'd get the satisfaction of doing it at home on Saturday. However, I'm not complaining about finishing the job early. They ended the second round with the 3-1 victory and finished the series with a winning road record, taking two of the three contests in the nation's capital.