Just 12 games into the season, the Carolina Hurricanes could be at a crossroads, the urgency rapidly escalating.
The Canes are 4-5-3 and winless in their last four games after losses to Colorado and Arizona last week. As Canes coach Bill Peters said Monday, “Everyone in this sport is aware of what happens when the calendar clicks into November and when you get to Thanksgiving. Everyone knows what those numbers dictate.”
In short, teams with strong starts to the season have stockpiled points, are in solid playoff positions and rarely give them up. The rest are left to play catchup, often futilely, the rest of the season.