Let The Good Times Roll

-Pittsburgh, PA

They'll never make the playoffs they said, but they did on a miraculous hot streak that helped them achieve it. They'll never get past the skilled Blue Jackets they said, but they beat them in 5 games. Surely to God they don't stand a chance against the mighty Penguins, but today we can say that they have been vanquished. That's right, the Carolina Hurricanes are headed off to the Eastern Conference Finals after another upset victory.

3 point nights from both Matt Cullen and Adam Henrique lead the way in Carolina's 5-0 win along with a 21-save shutout performance from Carey Price. "Just a huge win for us" said coach Willie Desjardins smiling ear to ear, "I'm so proud of the guys in our room and the way they've performed throughout this playoff run. Our vets have stepped up big, our goaltending has been great... I can't express just how happy I am."

Those thoughts were echoed by captain Henrik Sedin. "This is just a testament to how close we are as teammates. We would do anything for the guy sitting beside us in our locker room. That showed tonight and now we're still playing hockey instead of hitting the golf course."

The end of this playoff series also meant the re-emergence of GM Matthew Rose who has been known for hiding from the media during playoff series'. "So proud to see this group coming together as one" the GM said when addressing the media, "we made a commitment at the trade deadline to go all in on this season which can be seen through the acquisitions of Carey Price and Matt Cullen. We also made a move to set us up as perennial contenders earlier in the off-season acquiring Henrique, Ghostisbehere, and Maatta. What you're seeing now is the magic of a team that has gelled together with the same goal in mind. I couldn't be prouder of our players and I think our coaching staff has done a tremendous job getting this team to the performance level they are currently at. I only have one more thing to say: BRING ON THE LEAFS!" And with that, he dropped the microphone and left the podium.

This Conference Finals series will mark a rematch and a shot at redemption for the Hurricanes as they fell to the Maple Leafs last season in 5 games in the Semi-Finals. "You can bet that our boys are ready to try this a second time" said coach Willie Desjardins, "we know that they are an amazing team but who says we can't prove our critics wrong again?"

Tickets for Games 3 and 4 are already on sale at PNC Arena and now is the time to get behind your team, Canes fans! This team is looking as hot as ever and miracles always come in the playoffs.