Are Hurricanes, Devils back on playoff collision course, 14 years after the last one?
Fourteen years is too long.
There was a time, an epoch ago, when the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils seemed destined to collide in the playoffs, year after year after year. Then, the Hurricanes faded from relevance and as they returned the Devils did the same, and never the twain shall meet.
But based on the way the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference are shaking out this season, there are pretty good odds that time has come again.
And based on the way their games have gone this season, there are equally good odds that a Canes-Devils series would be as much fun as it ever was. Maybe even more.
Tuesday night was a disaster for the Hurricanes, who led by two goals going into the final minute of the second period and ended up losing 5-3. But it was an entertaining disaster, full of wild momentum swings, a pair of short-handed goals, a controversial winner — replays showed Dawson Mercer’s breakaway was sprung by a high stick, but the officials missed it and it’s not a challengable play outside the offensive zone — and an epic collapse by the Hurricanes’ third defensive pairing of Jalen Chatfield and Dylan Coghlan.
Pyotr Kotchetkov was poor as well, and while the rookie helped carry the Hurricanes through their winning streak, he clearly needs some time in the AHL to recalibrate. Frederik Andersen, who has been practicing for more than a month, can’t return soon enough — and could as soon as Thursday, although the weekend appears more likely.
Tuesday’s wild loss came on the heels of their last meeting with the Devils in Newark nine days ago, in which the Hurricanes were up 2-1 and 3-2, fell behind 4-3 late and ended up winning in a shootout. That win extended the Hurricanes’ winning streak to 11. They have a new streak now, 0-3-1 since then.
Nevertheless, they remain ahead in the Metro at the halfway point, and while all of that will remain in flux, enough of the conference picture has hardened into place to put these teams on a postseason collision course. It appears safe to assume at this point that both wild cards will come from the Metro, which means the Hurricanes, even if they were to somehow catch the Boston Bruins, will start the postseason within the division.
It’s more or less even odds among the Devils, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals or the Pittsburgh Penguins, because any of those teams could finish anywhere from first to fifth, and the New York Islanders still have a chance to shove their way into the picture.
“We know how good everybody is in the division,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Tuesday morning. “The standings, I’ve told you before, we don’t really look at it. Maybe we’ll start when it gets down to the nitty-gritty. But 20 games from now everything could be turned upside down anyway.”
It just feels, though, like these teams will meet again, and not just in March. There’s a little steam in the kettle, and not just because Erik Haula is on the Devils’ roster. Miles Wood, born (albeit not raised) in Buffalo, was as surly as a typical Sabres fan at PNC on Tuesday, throwing his weight around and trying to perform some impromptu dental work on Coghlan with his stick. He didn’t draw blood, but there’s a little bad blood boiling.
And given the Devils’ offensive talent — Jack Hughes was held without a goal Tuesday, a rarity — and their willingness to gamble on the attack, a predilection they share with the Hurricanes, these teams tend to default to drama. Should they end up playing together in the postseason, there’s every reason to expect things to be bonkers in a way they aren’t against the Bruins or Rangers.
They were in 2009, a playoff series between teams with very different personalities than they have now. They were in 2006, when the Hurricanes got into Martin Brodeur’s kitchen and cooked a full meal. They were in 2002, when the Hurricanes got revenge for 2001, and they were in 2001 when Scott Stevens knocked out half the Carolina roster in a series that, despite the loss, changed the course of the Hurricanes franchise forever.
The Hurricanes and Devils might have more than one game left in them this season. Let’s hope so.
Never miss a Luke DeCock column. Sign up at tinyurl.com/lukeslatest to have them delivered directly to your email inbox as soon as they post.
Luke DeCock’s Latest: Never miss a column on the Canes, ACC or other Triangle sports
This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 10:43 PM with the headline "Are Hurricanes, Devils back on playoff collision course, 14 years after the last one?."
