The Carolina Hurricanes suffered their first loss at the PNC Arena in regulation to ht Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Saturday, October 20, 2018. Special teams were a main factor in the outcome with the power play going 0-for-5 and the penalty kill going 3-for-4.
The Carolina Hurricanes won their first home game of the season in a wild, and very entertaining game, 8-5, on Sunday, October 7, 2018 at the PNC Arena against the NY Rangers. The blue shirts always have a bunch of their own fans at these games which made the atmosphere in the stands that much more interesting.
The Carolina Hurricanes dominated the first game of the season against the NY Islanders but lost the game in overtime 2-1 in front of a sellout crowd Thursday, October 4, 2018 at the PNC Arena. Rod Brind’Amour missed the opportunity to start his coaching career with a win but had to be pleased with the effort the team put on the ice.
The Carolina Hurricanes almost pulled off a perfect record in the preseason, by losing in overtime to a strong Nashville Predator team 5-4 in overtime in front of a great crowd at the PNC Arena on Sunday, September 30, 2018. The Caniac Carnival took place before the game that appeared to have a record crowd. Earlier in the day the coaching staff made the final cuts sending eight players down to Charlotte while keeping four rookies on the team.
The Carolina Hurricanes made it three-for-three in the preseason with a strong 5-1 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Washington Capitals.
The Carolina Hurricanes opened their home preseason with a resounding 6-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night, September 19, 2018. Prospect Jane Kuokkanen with one goal, two assists, and Captain Justin Williams with three assists, led the way with three points a piece, but this was a total team effort.
With the Carolina Hurricanes season starting up in a few months, here’s my take on the layout of the team this year and its various changes, as well as information on how you can get a special deal on tickets for the first three Hurricanes games.
Rod Brind’Amour was hired as the next coach of the Carolina Hurricanes by both Tom Dundon and new President and General Manager, Don Waddell. There’s no question Roddy was the best captain and leader the Canes had which is not to say ousted GM Ron Francis wasn’t a great captain – he was a great captain – but Roddy’s leadership by doing more than he asked of anyone, in the locker room, on the ice, with fans or in the workout room was special.
The Carolina Hurricanes bookended the season with overtime wins. The first game against Eric Staal and the Minnesota Wild and the last game with a solid 3-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts had more on the line as a win would have put them first in the Eastern Conference for home ice throughout the playoffs.
The Carolina Hurricanes had to win out their last five games while hoping the New Jersey Devils lost their last five games. But the loss to the worst team in the NHL in 2018, the New York Rangers, by a 2-1 score put the Canes out of any chance of getting into the post season for the NHL’s “worst” ninth season in a row.