NHL Playoff Picture 2023: Hurricanes Clinch Playoff Berth; Updated Standings

The Carolina Hurricanes are bringing the storm surge to the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

Carolina clinched a playoff berth on Thursday night by way of the Florida Panthers losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2 at FLA Live Arena. The Canes are just the second team this season to earn a spot in the postseason, joining the league-leading Boston Bruins.

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Here's a look at the updated Eastern Conference playoff picture by division:

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Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins: 55-11-5, 115 points (clinched playoffs)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 43-19-9, 95 points
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: 42-25-6, 90 points

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Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 46-16-8, 100 points (clinched playoffs)
2. New Jersey Devils: 45-18-8, 98 points
3. New York Rangers: 42-20-10, 94 points

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Wild Card

1. New York Islanders: 37-27-8, 82 points
2. Pittsburgh Penguins: 35-16-10, 80 points

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The Hurricanes have the second-best record in the NHL at 46-16-8 (100 points) and are looking to lock up the Metropolitan Division crown for the second straight season. However, it won't be an easy task as the New Jersey Devils sit second in the division with a 45-18-8 record (98 points) and are just two points behind Carolina for the division lead.

With 12 more games remaining in the regular season, it will be crucial for the Canes to lock up as many points as possible down the stretch in order to earn home-ice advantage to start the playoffs.

Despite losing star forward Andrei Svechnikov to a torn ACL earlier this month, the Hurricanes still have the talent and star power to win the Stanley Cup this season.

Forwards Martin Necas and Sebastian Aho are having tremendous seasons offensively. Necas leads the team with 65 points—27 goals and 38 assists—in 70 games, and Aho leads the team in goals with 31 tallies in 63 contests, in addition to 28 assists for 59 points.

The additions of Brent Burns and Shayne Gostisbehere on the blue line have also elevated the franchise's title chances this year. Burns leads the team with 41 assists in 70 games, and he also has 12 goals for 53 points.

Gostisbehere, whom Carolina acquired from the Arizona Coyotes at the trade deadline in February, has tallied two goals and three assists for five points in 11 games with the franchise.

The Hurricanes also have a talented trio of goaltenders in Frederik Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov and Antti Raanta. They have split time in the crease this season as Andersen has played in 28 games, Raanta in 23 and Kochetkov in 22.

Anderson, the team's primary netminder, ranks fifth in the NHL with a 2.44 goals-against average, and he also boasts a .903 save percentage.

The Hurricanes last won the Stanley Cup in 2006, when now-head coach Rod Brind'Amour helped lead the franchise to its first-ever championship by defeating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.