It's taken four months of travel on a bumpy, heartbreak-laden road, but Kirk Muller finally has the Carolina Hurricanes facing the right direction as the offseason approaches.
Just one more game remains on the schedule—Saturday night's visit with the Florida Panthers—and it's a matchup that many will write off as completely meaningless.
In terms of playoff implications, it indeed is.
But really, although the 'Canes weren't officially eliminated from postseason contention until March 30, most of this past season could also be labeled that way. With a record of 14-23-7 before the All-Star Break even began, the Hurricanes were never realistically in the playoff hunt.
Nevertheless, the Hurricanes didn't stop working just because their fate wasn't going to extend past April 7th. They continued to fight for victories, for their fans and for a better outlook when the 2012-2013 season arrives.
Eventually, Carolina put together a 19-9-9 record from January 12th on—a mark that would equate to a 104-point season over the span of 82 games.
And while that hot finish certainly d ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Jones
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April 7th, 2012 by Mark Jones Leave a reply »
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