Hurricanes’ Top Line Is Running Out of Rope in the Playoffs

Carolina’s best line is suddenly living on the edge, and everybody in the building knows it. When a contender starts asking that question this deep into the playoffs, it usually means the margin for error has already vanished. The Hurricanes need their top group to tilt the ice, but the postseason has a way of exposing any line that slips even a little. That makes this stretch feel less like a slump and more like a referendum on whether Carolina’s usual engine can still drive the whole car.