The Carolina Hurricanes are sitting at ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a place that not many teams would like to be in. They have lost three of their last five games in a shootout, one against the much hated Washington Capitals. They are no longer sitting at .500 and it will require lots of work to get back to it, but amid all of these problems, the Hurricanes are having a surprisingly good season.
The Canes came into this season with very little expectations as they are having a rebuilding season. The amount of aging players on the roster last year was staggering and forced the Canes to finally go with youth. Being one of the worst teams in the NHL did not seam like an unlikely future for them coming into the season, but as things have turned out, they are sitting right on the edge of the playoffs.
Eric Staal has continued his dominance in the offensive zone with the patched "C" on his jersey. For some reason, this title of captain has been a driving force for the Hurricanes star and has made him one of the better players in the NHL. Jeff Skinner, the Canes first round draft pick, has been a rookie sensation as he leads all first year players in points and in assists and is second in goals. If he continues to grow and mature at such a fast rate, we may be looking at a future scoring leader in the NHL. Cam Ward, the Canes goalie, has indeed had some let downs, but has also seemingly won several games with almost no defensive help. All though statistics don't show it, Cam has been one of the best goalies in the league this season.
No the Hurricanes have not stolen the show in the NHL and no they have not won every game with glamor. They have not been a top-notched team at every single point of the year, but they have the potential to be there, if not now then in years to come. The Canes will most likely not make it into the playoffs, but their future is looking bright. The youth will continue to grow and learn with one another. In all honesty, this could be the next big team in years to come.
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