Hurricanes Eye Rare Feat After Long Wait Ends

The Hurricanes are chasing a chance to do something three other NHL teams could not, which is exactly the kind of stat that makes playoff hockey feel like a test of nerve. Long waits tend to sharpen expectations rather than soften them, and Carolina knows the spotlight gets hotter when history starts leaning on the room. The path now is about handling the moment better than the clubs that came up short before them.