In 1986, the Hartford Whalers knocked off the Quebec Nordiques in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Some of you kids may have no idea who those teams are. Actually, a lot of kids in 1986 weren't sure, either. But they're now playing in the great historic hockey towns of Raleigh and Phoenix.

Anyway, the reason I bring it up is that the Whalers, now in exile as the Carolina Hurricanes (they will return one day), beat the Devils today for the second playoff win in franchise history. The ghosts of Geoff Sanderson, Andrew Cassels, Sean Burke, and all those other guys I almost won a Cup with on Sega '93 are looking down and smiling.