Hurricanes Chase Next Gear With Playoff Pedal Already Down

The Hurricanes have done the hard part and stayed undefeated, but the next round is where clean numbers stop buying much. Carolina still needs the extra layer that separates a hot team from a team that survives the spring meat grinder. The challenge now is less about talent and more about whether this group can turn control into the kind of playoff edge that usually shows up only when the games get mean.