RALEIGH, N.C. - Just five days after clinching an eighth consecutive playoff berth, the Carolina Hurricanes took the next step in their journey, claiming the Metropolitan Division title.
Their fourth time winning a division championship in six seasons, the Canes are now guaranteed to have home ice advantage through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Earning their 50th win of the season on Tuesday, a dramatic 6-5 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins, that number paces the Eastern Conference and sits just one back of the Colorado Avalanche for the league-lead.
Here are some other standout numbers from the season that's been, with just a few games remaining...
Offense
- The team's average of 3.54 goals per game ranks fourth among all NHL clubs.
- For just the sixth time in franchise history, the group has five 20-goal scorers. Should Logan Stankoven or Jordan Staal pot one more, it would be the second time in their history that they'll have six, joining the 2005-06 season as the only other time. The franchise hasn't had seven in one campaign since the 1986-87 Whalers.
- Second-year pro Jackson Blake is one of those 20-goal scorers, setting a new career-high with his 22 goals and 51 points.
- Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis are 30-goal scorers for just the second and third time in their young careers, respectively.
- Alexander Nikishin became the first rookie defenseman in franchise history to reach 10 goals in a season. His 31 points are also the most by a rookie defenseman in franchise history.
- Newcomer Nikolaj Ehlers has set a new career-high in points (65) and produced his first career 40-assist season.
Defense
- The bread and butter of the Brind'Amour era has been limiting the opposition's opportunity, and this year, the Canes have held their foes to an average of just 23.8 shots per game, of course, the fewest among all NHL teams.
- Since the start of the 2021-22 campaign, the Canes have led the NHL in fewest shots allowed per game, but this year's mark is the lowest of those five seasons.
- Allowing just an average of 2.95 goals per game, that ranks tied for eighth out of 32 clubs.
Special Teams
- Carolina's power play has converted on 24.7% of their chances this season (T-5th, NHL). An outstanding 37-for-117 since Jan. 1, they're almost 2% better than the next closest team during that time.
- Even on a "down year" for the penalty kill, Carolina has struck shorthanded 12 times, tied for the most among all NHL teams.
Goaltending
- Brandon Bussi's 30 wins rank tied for fourth among all NHL netminders this season.
- Frederik Andersen's big win this season was staying healthy, appearing in 33 games, the most since he dressed in the same amount during the 2022-23 season. He's also helped the Canes pick up at least one point in the standings in 19 of those 33, his most since the same 22-23 season, when he helped pick up at least one point in 22 showings.
