RALEIGH, N.C. — Ian Cole of the Carolina Hurricanes said it would be a “statement game,” a matchup of two of the NHL’s best teams.
Canes winger Nino Niederreiter said it should be a “fun” game although defenseman Brett Pesce quipped in rebuttal, “Not so fun.”
The Colorado Avalanche, everyone agreed, offered a supreme test Thursday. Not only do the Avs have some of the best forwards in the league — Nathan MacKinnon has world-class speed and skill — but a quickly rising superstar in defenseman Cale Makar.
