Hurricanes' weak divisional record has playoff lives on thin ice
The Metropolitan Division has not been kind to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes have struggled to make their mark against their most frequent opponents this season, showing an ugly 5-11-2 record against Metropolitan teams through February.
It's so bad that the Hurricanes' wins against their own division this season can be counted on one hand:
| Win | Date | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct. 28 | Rangers | 3-2 |
| 2 | Nov. 12 | Capitals | 5-1 |
| 3 | Jan. 10 | Blue Jackets | 5-3 |
| 4 | Jan. 14 | Islanders | 7-4 |
| 5 | Jan. 31 | Flyers | 5-1 |
It's a stark contrast for a club that sits eight games above .500 against the league's other 22 clubs, where the Hurricanes have performed to a 17-9-5 showing on the season.
With 33 games remaining on the season, a little more than one third of those -12 matches - will come against a Metropolitan foe.
Having not qualified for the postseason since 2009, the Hurricanes will no doubt need to see improvement against their Metropolitan competitors if the team is to have realize a long-awaited playoff berth.
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