Hurricanes Bark First, But the Bracket Still Has Teeth

Carolina has already done the dirty work, and now the playoff picture has to absorb the hit. The bracket shifts, the schedule tightens, and every front office still alive starts doing the math that never looks pretty this time of year. This is where the season stops being a tournament and turns into a pressure cooker, with one upset rewriting everybody’s path to the Cup. The next few days will tell you which contenders have legs and which ones were just enjoying the scenery.