The Carolina Hurricanes returned to practice on Tuesday. It's the first time they've taken the ice together since finishing the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon in Canada's capital. One would think they were planning to get ready for their next opponent. However, there's one small issue with that. They still don't know who they'll be playing yet.
After jumping out to a 3-0 lead, the Philadelphia Flyers haven't been able to finish the job. The Pittsburgh Penguins fought back to win Game 4 on the road before getting an insane bounce late in the second period, which proved to be the difference in a 3-2 win on Monday in Pittsburgh. With the series at 3-2, the Penguins have life. Unfortunately, the Flyers have home ice.
Game 6 of that series is on Wednesday in the City of Brotherly Love, with the Flyers trying to make the most of their third opportunity, especially with it being at home. However, should Sidney Crosby and the Penguins escape with another win, it'll be winner-takes-all on Saturday in Pittsburgh. This would mean more waiting for the Hurricanes.
At this time of year, rest is never a bad thing, especially with Nikolaj Ehlers missing the last game with a lower-body injury and Alexander Nikishin nursing a concussion that he received in Game 4. Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour provided a positive update on Tuesday, stating that both could be ready for the start of the next round. But is there such a thing as too much time off during the playoffs?
The Hurricanes don't have much experience with sweeps. Their only other best-of-seven sweep was in 2019, and they added a best-of-five sweep the following year in the Toronto bubble. In 2019, there was a six-day gap between Game 1 of the 2nd Round and Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Canes were swept. In the bubble, there was an eight-day gap, and the Canes lost in five games.
Now, those examples aren't perfect, especially given where the franchise was at the time. Ignoring that both instances resulted in the Canes losing to the Bruins, the 2019 Hurricanes were an upstart squad who'd overachieved to that point before running into a seasoned team. The 2020 situation was weird from the start, and playing the same team from the year before didn't help.
Of course, while the Canes rest, the Penguins and the Flyers will continue to batter and bruise each other to claim victory. They won't have nearly the amount of time to heal their wounds before facing the Canes at the start of the second round, whenever that happens to be. No one is ever playing at 100 percent this time of year, but there's no doubt that the Canes will be closer to healthy.
It's hard to pinpoint when Game 1 of the next round will be, and the situation in the Atlantic Division isn't helping matters. The Penguins-Flyers series ends on Wednesday if the Flyers win or on Saturday after Game 7. The Atlantic's two series will end no later than Sunday, which is when their Game 7s are scheduled. This potentially puts Game 1 for the Hurricanes anywhere from Sunday to Tuesday.
Until then, we wait for a resolution up north. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing this series go the distance, for both selfish and entertainment reasons. Game 7, in any sport, evokes a ton of emotion and pageantry. Imagine how electric it would be in Pittsburgh on Saturday. However, it also means less recovery time for the winner of the series, which could bode well for the Hurricanes.
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