The Canes will clinch a playoff berth on Friday night if the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Nashville Predators in regulation. For those who want to scoreboard watch, the puck drops in that game at 8 p.m. ET and is available on ESPN+.
If the Blackhawks do not secure a regulation win against the Predators, the Canes' next chance to punch their return ticket to the playoffs would be Saturday night with a win (regulation or otherwise) against the Florida Panthers. There's also a possibility that a single point on Saturday would seal the deal, depending on how Friday night's tilt between the Blackhawks and Predators plays out, but either way, a Canes win will do the trick.
In any case, odds are likely that the Canes can clinch a trip back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this weekend. It would be the team's third consecutive postseason appearance, a first in Canes history and the first time the franchise has done so since the Hartford Whalers made seven straight trips to the playoffs from 1986-92.
