If you had to guess, when is the last time the Carolina Hurricanes won a game past the 2nd Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
They made the Conference Final in 2023. Oh, that's right, they got swept by the Panthers. Old habits die hard?
Well, what about 2019? Nope, the Bruins handled them (then lost to the Blues, thankfully).
Oh, remember back in 2009 when they played the Penguins. The Penguins obviously went on to win the Stanley Cup, but surely the Hurricanes won a game in that ser...oh, we swept them in that one too?
Yikes.
The ECF Curse
The Carolina Hurricanes are now 0-14 in their last 14 Eastern Conference Final games. The last time they won a game past the 2nd Round was in 2006 when they won the Stanley Cup.
That was Sidney Crosby's first year in the NHL.
I don't know what it is. Lack of exceptional talent. Nerves. Coaching shortcomings. I can't put my finger on it.
Unless?
The Missing Piece
I've got it! The missing piece to all Carolina's problems. It's a move so sure to work that it'll restore the ashes of the Brass Bonanza in exceptional fashion. Everyone knows Carolina's problems stem from goaltending, right? Well allow me to introduce you to their savior.
Tristan Jarry.
Not only does Jarry have an incredible playoff pedigree with his 2-6 record, .891 save percentage, and -4.1 goals saved above average, he just so happens to need a change of scenery.
What better place to ship off to so you can avoid the arduous, never-ending winters of western Pennsylvania? It almost snowed here yesterday, but it was 72 degrees and sunny in Raleigh. I'm sure Jarry himself would love the change of scenery, and it might beckon him to play even better!
Just think, all it would take is for Carolina to part with a 2027 first round pick, and Tristan Jarry can be all theirs. A future future? That'll hardly have any immediate implications. It's practically taking him for free! I only see benefits here.
Well, lucky for our friends over at Cardiac Cane, Tristan Jarry is an NHL goal scorer. As for his ability to stop pucks, that may or not be true. However, at minimum, Tristan Jarry meets at least one of those three attributes.
Sometimes you just need to change things up. Of course, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again - and expecting different results. Carolina needs something different. And Tristan Jarry is exactly the type of different for them to take the next step.
Not winning the Eastern Conference Final, of course. Just winning a game in the Eastern Conference Final.
Baby steps, Wardens. Baby steps.