In the Stanley Cup playoffs, a series often can be decided by goaltending, special teams and roster depth to offset injuries. How do the Hurricanes stack up against the Devils?

The Carolina Hurricanes, by finishing second in the Metropolitan Division, earned home-ice advantage for the first-round series against New Jersey.

In a different timeline — one in which Jack Hughes stays healthy and Mikko Rantanen stays in Carolina — this matchup would’ve been a heavyweight tilt. That’s not the timeline we live in, unfortunately,