With or without Presidents’ Trophy, Hurricanes ready to crank it up in playoffs
A regular season unlike any other ends Monday for the Carolina Hurricane with a game against the Nashville Predators.
The most pressing concern for the Canes is the status of defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who left Saturday’s game against the Predators with a lower-body injury and did not return.
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said after the game that Slavin “tweaked” something and also said it was “a bit alarming,” a choice of words that was a bit alarming.
Slavin and other players will be held out of Monday’s game, Brind’Amour said after the morning skate. He said the hope was that it would be a “day-to-day” situation and that Slavin would be ready for the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
As Central Division champions, the Canes (36-11-8) will open the playoffs against the Predators (30-23-2), who claimed the No. 4 seed with their 3-1 victory on Saturday. The Canes also have will home-ice advantage.
The Canes, with 80 points, were tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for most points in the NHL through Saturday’s games. The Golden Knights, who beat St. Louis 4-1 on Saturday, have two remaining games they vie for the NHL’s Presidents’ Trophy, which would ensure home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
Not that it’s always a decisive advantage. None of the past seven winners of the Presidents’ Trophy has won a Stanley Cup and only one reached the conference finals. The last team to secure the Presidents’ Trophy and then win the Cup was the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012-13.
When the Canes won the Stanley Cup in 2005-06, the Detroit Red Wings claimed the Presidents’ Trophy. The Canes won the Southeast Division, their last divisional title before this season, and were the No. 2 seeds in the Eastern Conference.
Then again, the Canes are 20-3-5 at PNC Arena this season, so playing at home is a factor. As division champions they’re assured of the home-ice edge in at least the first two rounds of the playoffs, should they advance.
It won’t be a full house at PNC Arena, with the parking lots full of tailgaters before the playoff games and loud once in the building as it was in 2019. But it could be loud enough, with the hope of possibly increasing allowed seating capacity — 7,000 would be nice in the opening round — for the playoff games.
“Of course you always want to play at home,” Canes forward Jesper Fast said Saturday. “We had a really good record at home, so of course that’s an advantage for us. It’s a good thing.”
The check list for Monday’s game with the Predators should be a short one: play hard, stay healthy, win a game, go home.
“Get through the next game and then crank it up,” Brind’Amour said Saturday.
Goalie Petr Mrazek could be the starter Monday and then another conversation can be cranked up: Who’s the Canes’ No. 1 goalie going into the playoffs?
Of note
The Canes on Monday recalled defenseman Joey Keane of the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Keane is expected to make his NHL debut Monday against Nashville.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Nashville Predators
When: Monday, 8 p.m.
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville.
TV: BSSO (Bally)
This story was originally published May 10, 2021 at 8:00 AM.
