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TEAM STATS
Carolina Hurricanes, 2009-10
Goals For: 225 15th
Goals Against: 225 14th
GVT: 0 16th
Points: 100 11th
VUKOTA Projection for 2010-11
Goals For: 221 27th
Goals Against: 231 14th
GVT: -9 23rd
Points: 88 23rd
Get ready for another sequel? Way down in the standings at 21-20-5 on January 17, 2009 the Hurricanes finished the 2008-09 campaign at a blazing 24-10-2 to not only vault into the playoffs, but to take that momentum all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. The hole they had to dig out of was even deeper last season. Carolina was a putrid league-worst 9-22-6 by Christmas (though this season's Devils hit even lower lows), appearing out of the postseason picture for sure. But the Canes kept rallying, getting within hailing distance of the playoffs by going 26-15-4 over their final 45 games before ultimately finishing a respectable 11th place in the East at 80 points. So do the Hurricanes have another dominant second half in them again this season?
In 2010-11, Carolina has actually had strong start given difficult circumstances, like a hellish schedule that started with their navigating 11 time zones between Helsinki and Los Angeles over the first two weeks of the season. And the schedule maker didn't take it easy on the Canes after that, either. By the time I saw the Hurricanes face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden in early January, Carolina had only played 16 of their 39 games at RBC Center. Having weathered a more adverse schedule than any other NHL team, the Canes look to be in fine shape to get back in the playoffs, officially in ninth place in the East at 25-20-6 (56 points), though in eighth by points per game. Even without their typical late season rally, Paul Maurice's crew should be playing into the second half of April at the least.
INDIVIDUAL STATS
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From Daigle To Datsyuk (02/03)
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