Morning Papers Take: Hurricane season is over

This morning in the Eastern Conference Morning Papers, Chip Alexander of the News & Observer wrote about the Hurricanes’ struggles:

The Florida Panthers outlasted the Canes 3-0 on Wednesday night at BankAtlantic Center. Make it 10 straight losses for the Hurricanes, who played without center Eric Staal for the first time since 2004 and whose misery and frustration continues.

Good thing the Leafs and Hurricanes are playing tonight because one of these teams needs a glimpse of hope.  In reality, both teams have little, if any, chance at a playoff spot.  A couple days ago, I wrote about the Leafs’ chances at making the playoffs and today I felt like it’d be unfair if I wrote only about the Leafs’ struggles and not about the Hurricanes–a team that has actually played worse than Toronto. 

Simply, the Hurricanes are done.  The team has recorded seven points in fourteen games, just lost their best forward for two-to-four weeks and have lost ten straight games.  With 68 games remaining in the Canes’ season, the team would have to go 43-25 (not counting overtime losses) to reach last season’s playoff threshold (93 points for the Habs).  That means, the Hurricanes would have to win 63% of the team’s remaining games. 

You know what they say about the Stanley Cup, you can’t win it in October, but you sure can lose it.  The Hurricanes are evidence of just that.