While several players on the team are chasing personal accomplishments and milestones, hockey, at the end of the day, is a team game. You win as a team, and you lose as a team. There's a reason that everyone gets to hoist the Cup. It will take a roster of 23 or more players to get the job done, making it the ultimate team prize.
This Carolina Hurricanes squad has positioned itself to be another in a long line of stellar teams under Rod Brind'Amour's command. They're on their way to an eighth straight postseason appearance, establishing a new franchise record. They should also be another of his teams to reach the 100-point mark, becoming the fifth team to do so and fourth in five seasons.
They might be a little off the pace right now, but this team is chasing down the 2021-22 team for two franchise records. That year, the first with Frederik Andersen between the pipes, the Canes got off to a scorching start, winning their first nine games on the way to a 54-20-8 record. The team's 54 wins and 116 points set new benchmarks, passing the 2005-06 squad on both accounts.
Despite this success during the regular season, the Canes fell in the second round to the Rangers, with Andersen's late-season injury preventing him from playing in the postseason. The 2022-23 group tried to replicate them, but they sputtered out late in the year, settling for 113 points. Both records are attainable for this season's squad, but to get there would take near perfection.
The road to 54 wins and 116 points will require an immaculate finish
After Thursday's win, the Hurricanes have 37 wins and 80 points. Their .690 points percentage has them on pace to finish with 113 points, a little behind where the 2021-22 team was at this point in the season. Through 58 games that year, that group was 41-12-5, and they went 13-8-3 through the end of the season. Getting to this total will be made even harder by the team's remaining schedule.
With their 24 remaining contests, the Hurricanes have 13 games against teams currently positioned for the playoffs, including three games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who sit second in the division. They only face four teams currently below .500, all of whom are out West. It's a minor miracle that they've already finished their season series with many of the West's top teams.
The Hurricanes also face a road-heavy conclusion to their season, and it comes in spurts. They start March with a four-game trip to the Northwest and Alberta. There is another stretch with five-of-six on the road in mid-March. To close the season, the Canes play their final four away from home. There are some tough buildings on the schedule, too.
Needing 17 wins over their final 24 games seems like a lot. I think this team can do it. It is likely more realistic that they'll finish in the mid-100s in points, but that should be enough to get them the top spot in the division. The way Tampa is playing makes the #1 seed in the East feel a little harder, even after beating them. No matter the case, all I want is a strong finish heading into the playoffs.