NHL scores 2017: Hurricanes have emerged as wild card contenders

While we were all wrapped up in the Blue Jackets, the Maple Leafs, and the Wild, the Hurricanes snuck up on us.

After matching Columbus goal for goal and then some, the Hurricanes have now closed the wild card gap to three points. It’s taken a few dominoes to fall in their favor, but 16 wins in their last 27 games have improved the Hurricanes’ 3-6-4 start, where they opened the season as the Metropolitan Division’s last place team.

A big reason for their climb is that their young talent is finally starting to mesh. Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask, the team’s leading scorers, both had three-point evenings in the Hurricanes’ 5-3 victory over the Blue Jackets. They’re also getting the goaltending they’ve needed in key situations from Cam Ward, which they’ve been hard-pressed to find over the last few seasons. Ward is on track for a .915 save percentage season, his highest since 2011-12.

The Hurricanes are practically unbeatable now when they play at home, with a 12-1-1 record at PNC Arena in their last 14 games.

Yet, the reason they’re in this conversation is that the Flyers keep bleeding points. Philadelphia has won just two games in its last 11 since the late November-early December winning streak. When it seemed like the wild card spots were all but locked up thanks to the Metropolitan Division’s dominance, a crack has appeared. And now the Hurricanes join the race for the postseason. Just like we all predicted.

Sabres 4, Flyers 1
Hurricanes 5, Blue Jackets 3
Bruins 5, Blues 3
Predators 2, Canucks 1 (OT)
Blackhawks 4, Red Wings 3 (OT)
Sharks 5, Oilers 3
Ducks 2, Stars 0

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1. David Backes had quite a homecoming in St. Louis

Blues fans welcomed their former captain of five seasons back to St. Louis on Tuesday with quite a night. Backes got a standing ovation and a nice tribute video put together by the Blues’ organization.

The former Blues’ captain also fought against his old team in his first game back! Very fitting.

2. Mikkel Boedker has kicked off the rust in style

The goals are really coming for Boedker now. After scoring his first goal in 29 games against Detroit on Saturday, Boedker added three more to double his total goals on the season to six, with a hat trick that helped the Sharks best the Oilers, 5-3.

The hat trick is just Boedker’s second of his career, and what a time for it!

3. The Blackhawks are streaking

With Duncan Keith’s overtime winner, Chicago is the latest team to go on a run, as the Blackhawks now have four straight wins. The Blackhawks are now starting to break away from the Wild at the top of the Central after Minnesota caught up with them during their streak.

It was a night of overtime wins for the Central, as the Predators also got themselves a win in the extra period. A goal by Calle Jarnkrok with just 1.5 seconds remaining in overtime was the difference.

Make it 12 career games for Tyler Seguin now after the Stars’ loss in Anaheim.