After a nine-year run of postseason futility from 2010 to 2018, the Carolina Hurricanes have made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons and appear to be well on their way to a sixth berth. The team has accomplished all anyone could ask for in the regular season and has two conference final appearances in their five-year playoff run, including their loss to the Florida Panthers last season.
With odds of +1100 at bet365 NC, the team is clearly in Stanley Cup or bust mode. With this in mind, BetCarolina.com – your source for North Carolina sports betting - decided to utilize ChampsorChumps.us to see how many consecutive playoff berths the past 10 Cup champions had put together before winning it all. This way, Carolina fans and bettors can see whether to expect the Hurricanes to break through anytime soon.
NC sports betting apps, of course, are right around the corner, with the state expected to launch mobile wagering early in 2024.
How Champs Built Up to Stanley Cup
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Examining Recent History
While not every single Cup winner over the past 10 years was on a playoff streak like Carolina’s, almost every winner had a strong playoff history in the five seasons before winning the Cup. Even the teams with less than four straight postseason appearances before winning had only missed the playoffs one time in the six years beforehand, emphasizing the importance of Stanley Cup playoff experience. BetCarolina.com has a more detailed look at the Hurricanes’ playoff chances.
The most recent Stanley Cup winner, the Vegas Golden Knights, missed the playoffs the year before their championship primarily due to injuries. The four years before that they had made the playoffs and made it at least to the third round three times, so they had built up a ton of playoff experience before winning. The St. Louis Blues also missed the playoffs the year before their championship, but they had a six-year playoff streak before it. The bulk of that St.Louis team knew what the playoff wars were like.
The Hurricanes’ current situation most closely mirrors that of the 2022 Avalanche and the 2018 Capitals. The Avalanche entered their championship season having lost three straight second-round series but, like Carolina, they had been one of the teams favored to win the Cup going into most of those years.
Washington’s situation is perhaps even closer, as the Capitals had made nine of 10 playoffs before winning the Cup and there was growing concern that the team didn’t have what it took to get over the hump. The same concern that plagued the pre-Cup Capitals is starting to creep over the Hurricanes. Another year without at least getting to the Finals no doubt will make those outside noises get even louder, despite the fact that Carolina has won seven playoff series in the past five years.
Last year the biggest issue in the playoffs was the lack of a game-breaking sniper, especially with injuries to Max Pacioretty and Andrei Svechnikov. Pacioretty is gone, but Svechnikov is back healthy and needs to prove himself as a top-line threat after years of teasing with his potential but not quite reaching the superstar level.
This Carolina team has incredible depth, especially on the blueline, and plays a very defined game under coach Rod Brind’Amour. It’s time for the Hurricanes to use that structure and talent to join the Capitals, Avalanche and more as teams to finally break through after years of playoff heartbreak.
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