It’s hard to believe the Carolina Hurricanes didn’t want this.
As one of two teams that rallied against the postseason format for the re-jigged 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs in a vote conducted only after learning that they would collide with the New York Rangers in the qualification round, it appeared the Hurricanes were a touch reluctant to put their season on the line in a do-or-die series against a streaking team that beat them in all four meetings this year.
Fast forward a few months since they were overruled, and now just barely 48 hours into the NHL’s official restart, the Hurricanes appear to be the standard in which all teams will be measured against in this unprecedented tournament, while without question being a class above the division rival that gave them fits in the regular season.