There aren't many good things that can be said about the 2002-03 Carolina Hurricanes. After playing in the 2002 Stanley Cup Final, the Canes looked nothing like that incredible team despite many of the same players sticking around. The result was horrendous, but the start of the season wasn't terrible.
Entering their finals rematch with the Detroit Red Wings on November 29, 2002, the Hurricanes had just one win in their previous seven games (1-3-2-1) but were still sitting competitively in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings were still a juggernaut, with a lineup full of future Hall of Famers. They hadn't suffered from the Stanley Cup hangover, leading the Central Division.
To call this game a spirited bout would be an understatement. There were 11 minor penalties taken in the first period, including five roughing penalties in the final 5:11. However, neither of Detroit's goals in the opening 20 minutes came with the man advantage. Brett Hull and Kirk Maltby beat Kevin Weekes to help Detroit get out to the early lead. Shortly after Maltby's goal, Weekes exited the game after Bret Hedican was pushed into him by Maltby.
The Canes' power play, using their fallen comrade as motivation, finally got the team going. The power play struck three times in the second period, with two goals from Jan Hlavac, who was acquired at the beginning of the month from Vancouver, and a David Tanabe goal in between them. Still, the Red Wings found the answer, getting the tying goal from rookie Henrik Zetterberg late in the period.
Hlavac completed his power-play hat trick 4:26 into the third period to secure his third-career hat trick and the team's fourth power-play goal to regain the lead. Hull's second goal of the night followed nearly five minutes later, getting Detroit's first goal with the man advantage. Exactly 120 seconds later, Jeff O'Neill notched the fifth goal on the power play, which would be the game-winner. The Hurricanes' only goal at even strength was the dagger, as Sami Kapanen helped finish a 6-4 revenge win. Rod Brind'Amour added three assists and Arturs Irbe made 18 saves in relief.
The Hurricanes' five power-play goals set a Carolina record and it was the sixth time in the organization's combined history. It has only been replicated twice since. The 2005-06 team did it to Martin Broduer in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, a 6-0 victory for the Canes. The 2007-08 team put up five against the Atlanta Thrashers in a 7-1 game in late March 2008. The Canes have only scored four power-play goals in a game once in the last 12 years.
The win against Detroit began a three-game win streak for the Hurricanes, putting them at the top of the Southeast Division on December 3rd. Then, the wheels fell off. The Hurricanes went 10-36-7-3 the rest of the way, including an 11-game winless streak to end the season. Their 61 points were the fewest in the league, though they lost the draft lottery to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They would go on to select Eric Staal with the second pick in the 2003 Draft, so it wasn't all terrible for Carolina.