‘Raleigh believes in them.’ Canes fans are far from sad after Boston sweep.
Many fans could sense what was coming well before the game ended — perhaps when the Canes went down by two goals. Then by three. Then by four.
But it didn’t matter.
Every Canes fan we talked to leaving the PNC Arena Thursday night — after the Carolina Hurricanes’ magical run for the Stanley Cup ended with a four-game sweep by the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals — had nothing but love and positivity for the team and their improbable season.
“I’m fine,” said Jack Tomick of Raleigh, who has been to every home playoff game this season and about 25 regular season games. “If it wasn’t Boston, I’d be completely fine.” Tomick’s parents are season ticket holders but don’t go to many games, so he and his brother attend. And he plans to be back next season — “Even more games if I can.”
Larry Jackson of Clayton echoed Tomick.
“Sad? No way,” he said. “I’m good, not disappointed at all. Did you think they’d even get this far? We’re cool.”
Jackson, a season ticket holder, has been coming to Hurricanes games for close to 20 years, he said. And he’ll absolutely be back next season.
Dawn Kernagis was full of love for the team as she exited the game.
Kernagis grew up in North Carolina but currently lives in Pensacola, Florida. She and her friends Olivia Jackson and Stefanie Martina, also of Pensacola, have been in town for a business trip, and Kernagis — the acknowledged “superfan” of the group — made sure they had tickets for this week’s games.
Like other fans we talked to, the women were far from sad about Thursday’s loss.
“Those guys played their hearts out,” Kernagis said. “They got way further than anyone expected them to go and we’re super proud of them.”
“I want to move here,” said Jackson, who plays hockey in Pensacola.
As they spoke, with the game already over and the teams lined up for farewell fist-bumps on the ice, the crowd continued to cheer for their Canes.
“Do you hear that?” Kernagis asked. “That makes you want to cry. It’s the whole concept of ‘believing’ and what that can do.
“Raleigh believes in them,” Kernagis said.
This story was originally published May 16, 2019 at 11:22 PM with the headline "‘Raleigh believes in them.’ Canes fans are far from sad after Boston sweep.."
