The Anatomy of a Moment: The Carolina Hurricanes Return to the Playoffs After Nearly a Decade

Since joining the Cardiac Cane team over a year ago, my self-proclaimed role has been as the Hurricanes historian, hoping to provide insight to new fans and nostalgia to longtime fans. With the action done for the season, I've taken it upon myself to start a new series that looks into some of the biggest moments and games, providing context to some of the greatest moments in the team's history. The aim is to provide perspective for some of the more exciting moments we have been fortunate enough to experience as Hurricanes fans.

The Background

Heading into their penultimate season game, the Hurricanes were in a position they hadn't been in for almost a decade. They were on the verge of clinching a playoff spot. Postseason hockey hadn't been played in Raleigh since the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, which the Canes lost in four games to Boston. After nine long years and a huge shakeup in the offseason, it was all about to change.

Under first-year head coach Rod Brind'Amour, the Canes had gotten off to another slow start, sitting 15-17-5 right before the new year. However, a scorching three-month stretch had them back in the hunt. The Canes occupied the first Wild Card spot, leading both Columbus and Montreal by one point, needing a win and a Montreal loss to the Capitals to get the job done.

For their final home game, the New Jersey Devils were in town. The Devils were well out of the hunt at this point, sitting at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and looking forward to a high lottery pick in the upcoming draft. Despite their positioning, the Devils had won two of the three meetings in the season series, with the home team winning every game to that point. Cory Schneider and Petr Mrazek faced off between the pipes.

Meanwhile, almost 300 miles away, the division-leading Washington Capitals were trying to handle their own business by clinching their fourth straight division title against a Montreal Canadiens team desperate to snag one of the final two spots. With fewer regulation wins than both Carolina and Columbus, Montreal needed not only to win but also to make sure they gained ground in the points column against the teams they were chasing.

Special teams put the Canes ahead and Mrazek keeps it that way

The Hurricanes spent a lot of time on the power play late in the first period, and they had a 5-on-3 opportunity that carried into the second. Though they didn't score with the two-man advantage, they'd tire the Devils out enough to get the next one while a man up. Justin Faulk uncorked a shot from the point through bodies that beat Cory Schneider over his blocker to give the Canes their first lead of the night early in the second. From there, all they had to do was make sure they got saves from Petr Mrazek, and that they did.

For the first time in over a decade, the Carolina Hurricanes saw a change in the net. Cam Ward, who rose to prominence with his Conn Smythe-winning performance in 2006, opted for a change in scenery during free agency, signing with Chicago. It was thought that Scott Darling had been positioned to be his successor but an injury early in the season allowed newly-signed Petr Mrazek to become the starter. Mrazek was very strong in his first season with the Canes, forming an excellent dup with Curtis McElhinney, who the team picked up off waivers right after the start of the campaign.

The Swiss Missile provides the dagger

As the game entered the third period, the Hurricanes maintained their 2-1 lead. Meanwhile, in D.C., the Capitals led the Canadiens by the same score after Nic Dowd scored early in the second period to break a 1-1 tie. While the Canes were ahead, the Devils wouldn't go away quietly. New Jersey held a slight lead in shot through two periods, but they would expand it quickly in the third. Still, Petr Mrazek remained a brick wall.

It's almost fitting that Nino Niederreiter would be the man to finish the job for the Hurricanes. He didn't even begin the season in Raleigh. With the Minnesota Wild, Niederreiter hadn't been producing much. The same could be said for former Hurricanes first-round pick Victor Rask. In late January, the two teams came together for a deal, swapping the forwards one-for-one. It's safe to say that Carolina won this deal. Niederreiter hit the ground running, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games.

His 14th goal would prove to be his biggest. Niederreiter skated past Kenny Agostino and elevated his shot over the glove of Cory Schneider with 3:25 left to extend the Canes' lead to 3-1. As the seconds wound down in Raleigh, the same was happening in D.C. Just before the final horn blared at PNC Arena, the Capitals were able to hold off Montreal 2-1 to complete the first half of the scenario. The Devils threw 16 shots on the net in the third period, but none of them beat Mrazek, ensuring the Hurricanes wiped out a decade of frustration with a playoff-clinching 3-1 victory.

The Aftermath

On the ice, there was a delayed reaction from the players. Once they got wind of their guaranteed postseason appearance, the celebration began. The star of the night, Petr Mrazek, summed it up with one of the best bench interview moments in team history. His 36 stops against New Jersey on that night were tied for his second most during the season as he picked up his 23rd win.

The Hurricanes still had one last job to complete before beginning their quest for the Stanley Cup. In their season finale, they went on the road and beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 to clinch the top Wild Card spot in the East. This ensured they'd face the team that had helped them a few nights earlier, the Metropolitan Division winning and defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, in the first round

As for the Canadiens, their loss to the Capitals would prove to be the final straw. The next night, the Columbus Blue Jackets would beat the New York Rangers in a shootout to move two points ahead of Montreal with the tiebreaker in hand to clinch the final Wild Card spot and end Montreal's season. Both teams would go on to win their season finales, too, ending the season with Columbus two points ahead of Montreal in the standings.

For most of the Hurricanes' core that season, it was their first chance to experience playoff hockey. While Justin Williams, Jordan Staal, and Teuvo Teravainen had been there before, guys like Sebastian Aho, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, and Justin Faulk were finally getting their chances after years with the organization. Even though they'd be going into the playoffs as a big underdog against the defending champs, there was tons of fight in this group. Not only would it lead to a memorable run, but it was the first in a long line of postseason appearances for the team.