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WATCH: Christian McCaffrey pumps up crowd as Carolina Hurricanes siren sounder

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•05/21/22•

Jonathan Wagner

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Grant Halverson via Getty Images.

The Carolina Hurricanes hosted the New York Rangers at PNC Arena in Raleigh for Game 2 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Friday night. Prior to every period of every home game, the Hurricanes have someone sound the siren to get the crowd ready to go for the game. On Friday night, the Hurricanes’ siren sounder was Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey proved to be one of the strongest siren sounders of the season for the Hurricanes, and it set up what would end up being a great night for the crowd. The Hurricanes scored with less than five minutes remaining in the second period, later adding another empty net goal with just seconds remaining in the game. Carolina shut out the Rangers, 2-0, to take a 2-0 series lead as it flips back to New York.

In the playoffs, the Hurricanes are now a perfect 5-0 on home ice. They defeated the Boston Bruins in the opening round, and are now two wins away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Final.

McCaffrey is looking for a bounce back season with the Panthers

The Panthers selected McCaffrey with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Stanford, and he immediately turned into one of the league’s best running back when healthy. McCaffrey had 435 rushing yards, 651 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns as a rookie in 2017. In 2018, he rushed for over 1,000 yards, added 867 through the air, and had 13 total touchdowns. He had an even better season in 2019, rushing for nearly 1,400 yards with 1,005 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.

During the 2020 season, McCaffrey was off to a strong start with 225 rushing yards, 149 receiving yards and six total touchdowns in his third game. But an injury then ended his season. This past season, McCaffrey was again limited due to multiple injuries, playing in just seven games. In those games, he rushed for 442 yards, added 343 through the air, and had two total touchdowns.

When he is on the field, McCaffrey is a dangerous playmaker and one of the best all-around running backs in the NFL. As the Panthers look to bounce back from another disappointing season, McCaffrey’s ability to stay on the field will play a big role.