The Playoffs Are Now
The Stanley Cup Playoffs won't begin until the second week of April, but the Hurricanes have been in a playoff mindset since the start of 2019.
"It feels like we've been doing that for 30 or 40 games now," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said after practice on Monday. "It is playoffs for us. We know that. We've been in it for a long time."
The Hurricanes are 24-8-2 since Dec. 31, a resurgence that has led them into a wild card spot currently in the Eastern Conference.
Tuesday's game, the first of two match-ups between the Hurricanes and Penguins down the stretch of the season, is a pivotal four-point swing game.
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It's as big as the big games have been as of late for the Hurricanes.
"It's not just another game. There's a lot at stake," Brind'Amour said. "It's two points, but I think the game is going to take on a little more emotion because of it. I'm sure the crowd will be into it. I think it will be a big game and as close to a playoff game as you're going to get."
Down the Stretch
Beginning with Tuesday's match, the Hurricanes will play 11 games over a 19-day span to end the regular season.
It's a mad dash to the finish line, as the Canes jockey for playoff positioning.
Managing the team's workload is going to be key.
"It's not ideal, but it is what it is," Brind'Amour said. "How do you manage it? Day by day. We understand the workloads, so we'll probably back off on practices now. You won't see us going too long. Today was longer because we had a day off. Morning skates, who knows? Game time is what it's all about."
The Last Meeting
Backed by a 23-save performance by Curtis McElhinney, the Hurricanes blanked the Penguins, 4-0, in Pittsburgh on Feb. 5. The shutout was McElhinney's first of the season, as he returned to the crease to make his first start in three weeks. In his 300th career NHL game, Jordan Martinook tallied his 12th goal of the season, a new career high.
The Opposition
The Penguins saw a 1-0 lead disappear with just 19 seconds left in regulation against Philadelphia on Sunday, and then the Flyers took the extra point with just 3.4 seconds left in overtime. Prior to that heartbreaker, the Pens had won three of their last four and six of their last eight games to slide into third place in the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh will be without Evgeni Malkin, who is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
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