ACC Country

The Carolina Hurricanes went 9-2-1 in the month of March. The Carolina Hurricanes outscored their opponents 43-26 in the month of March. The Carolina Hurricanes have put together their best stretch of hockey since the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Yet, on Tuesday night, in Washington, they lost sole possession of the Southeast Division lead, which they had held for practically the entire season.

In that same month of March, the Washington Capitals went 10-4, including a clutch 5-1 road trip at the end of the month that drew the Caps within two points of Carolina. At the Verizon Center on Tuesday, the Caps drew even with a playoff-like 4-1 win over a Hurricanes squad that was outplayed from the drop of the puck and received no help from some VERY questionable officiating. The Capitals’ victory sets up a furious final week to the regular season. For the Hurricanes, who hold all the tiebreakers over Washington, it is quite simple: win two games and win the division. Anything less than that, and the Canes must hope that Washington stumbles as much as they do. There are other possibilities that could land Carolina in the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference, but we won’t talk about those.

Carolina won the first of their two remaining games last night in Raleigh, a convincing 6-2 win over the visiting Lightning in a nice rebound game after the less than inspiring effort in D.C. Tuesday. Eric Staal answered the bell, scoring 30 seconds into the game, and Chad LaRose, just back from his broken tibia suffered in February, notched his first NHL hat trick as the Canes dictated the pace from the first shift. This same Tampa Bay club goes to Washington tonight, and a Lightning regulation victory would give the division to Carolina. But considering the already eliminated Lightning hardly showed up for the front end of this back to back, it’s difficult to assume that they’ll come to play tonight.

That leaves Carolina’s division hopes in their own hands, hosting the hated Florida Panthers at RBC Friday night in the season finale. The Canes are 5-2 on the season against Florida and haven’t lost to the Cats in Raleigh in seemingly forever. However, the Panthers have played Carolina tough all seven games, and of the five Carolina victories, only one came by more than a one goal margin, and the meeting last week at the BankAtlantic Center was decided on a Eric Staal shootout goal. The Panthers would like nothing more than to crush the playoff hopes of the Hurricanes, who have dealt Florida more than their share of heartbreaking defeats over the past three seasons.

Win or lose, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the most intense playoff format in all of sports, kick off April 9.