Raleigh, North Carolina—Are there such a thing as “Hockey Gods”? Some unseen forces of virtue who lord over the sport, who make sure that, whatever the circumstances of the time are, the outcome will be fair and just?

If there are Hockey Gods, then the Carolina Hurricanes will never win the Stanley Cup. After seeing what we saw, Carolina does not deserve the ultimate prize, and here is why:

This past Sunday we made our way to the RBC Center, home of the Carolina Hurricanes, for game five of the conference finals. On the way down, nowhere was there visible evidence along the highways and byways that a playoff tournament in a major sport was happening right in their very own back yard. No “Go Canes” messages on businesses’ reader boards; no billboards imploring people to buy tickets. Expressway LED boards flashed traffic advisories—not to patrons heading to the RBC Center but rather to fans heading to the Coca Cola 600 NASCAR event in Concord, 120 miles to the west.

The scene became that much more surreal as we headed into the arena parking lot. The building itself is situated amid expressways and offices, totally surrounded by pavement. So people tailgate. But not like the tailgating you will find in Buffalo. No vehicles decorated with team colors and paraphernalia. No hot tubs on flatbeds. No music blaring. No fires and grills with the smell of burgers and brats wafting in the air. Canes tailgating is a more staid affair, kind of like the family picnic after Sunday Bible school. Men in Dockers and polo shirts tapping on their PDAs, women in starched hockey jerseys spreading paté on crackers and sipping chardonnay. All very silent—very prim and proper.

The humidity and heat was stifling: 92 degrees and a wilting sun.

Out in front of the main entrance was a stage and, just like in Buffalo, a pregame party was unfolding on the plaza. Music, food, kids’ games. But unlike Buffalo, where thousands of Sabres fans jammed the front of the arena and Perry Street, chanting “Thank you, Tom” as Sabres owner Tom Golisano led the cheers, Carolina fans at their party could be counted in the dozens.

We continued walking, asking ourselves, “Where is the enthusiasm, the electricity?” Finally, in the distance, we could hear the din and the noise. We started walking faster and as we made the turn towards Lot 6 and we found it: the music, the grills, the footballs being thrown, the street hockey games on the open pavement. And who was generating all this hub-bub?

The contingent of Buffalo fans, of course.

In fact, hundreds upon hundreds of Sabres fans were partying it up, and as we toured the rows of cars and mingled with people, we quickly discovered that these were not Western New York expatriates living in the Carolinas, but Buffalonians who made the 700-mile journey to cheer on the Sabres.

All this unfolded under the watchful eyes of a substantial security presence, making sure that there was no trouble. “Everyone is having a good time and no incidents have occurred,” said Officer Dan McCallum of the Raleigh PD. “It’s just a great party atmosphere out here.”

With the large Buffalo contingent on hand, the tea-and-crumpets Canes fans and ice hockey being played in 90-degree heat in the land of NASCAR and ACC hoops, one would think that the audience inside would be somewhat muted and tempered. This is where the scene takes yet another bizarre twist.

“Wait until you hear this crowd, guys.” That was the heads-up given to us by Sabres media relations director Chris Bandura as we sat in the press lounge before the game. Bandura was right. When this building is full, which isn’t often, these fans rank among the loudest in the NHL, and it would have been that much noisier if 2,500 or so Buffalo fans hadn’t taken over the upper reaches of the arena to offer some balance.

The game ended in total heartbreak for the Sabres and their fans, as Cory Stillman netted the game winner for Carolina 8:46 into overtime. After the game, Lindy Ruff said with total confidence that his team could come back. “I’m not disappointed with the game at all. Our guys made a huge statement coming in here.”

And an even bigger statement in game six.

TARO SEZ (Game 6 edition)

• Hello, Numminen! After a long absence, standout defenseman Teppo Numminen returned to action, but did not play after the first period, apparently re-injuring his hip.

• Despite not seeing any postseason action, Sabres tough guy Andrew Peters certainly hasn’t been forgotten. Peters was seen waving to an adoring crowd just below the press box and chatting it up with the fans during the second intermission.

• Embedded Buffalonian Conspiracy! Clarence native and Hurricane Kevyn Adams was called for two penalties during the second period. But Buffalo couldn’t convert on the ensuing power plays. Thanks, Kev, we know you did your part even if you can’t admit it.

• Sabres forward Jason Pominville was the target of the assaults that led to all four Buffalo power plays. “We knew we still had Pominville,” joked Lindy Ruff. “He played a workaholic game, even down in Carolina.”

• Lindy’s parting words on Game 7: “Let’s have fun. It’s going to be fun.”