Glory stories are written about teams that go from worst to first. But what of the teams that fall from first to worst?

2002-03 BY THE NUMBERS

Record: 22-43-11-6, 61 pts. (30th overall, 15th East, 5th Southeast); Home: 12-17-9-3; Road: 10-26-2-3 Goals for/Avg.: 171/2.09 (30th overall) Goals against/Avg.: 240/2.93 (27th overall) Differential: Minus-69 (30th overall) Power play: 13.8 percent (58-420, 27th overall) Penalty kill: 81.6 percent (320-392, 25th overall) 20-goal scorers: Jeff O'Neill (30), Ron Francis (22) 50-point scorers: O'Neill (61), Francis (57)

Two years ago, the Carolina Hurricanes stuck it to the perennial powerhouse New Jersey Devils and two of the NHL's most storied franchises -- the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs -- and won the Eastern Conference championship before bowing out to the steam-rolling Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup finals. Hopefully, they enjoyed last summer's high, because the ensuing run-in with Murphy's Law left Paul Maurice's boys glaring up at the rest of the league, 30th of 30 teams, and Maurice himself miraculously still clinging to his job.

Injuries are every team's worst nightmare, and the 'Canes obviously got little sleep last season. Captain Ron Francis tore a muscle in his back early in the season. He never missed a game, but his production fell to a paltry 57 points, his lowest total since becoming a 'Cane in 1998-99 and the third lowest of his career. Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina's leading scorer and most dominant faceoff man, tore a tendon in his right hand in January and played only 48 games. Soon thereafter, Erik Cole broke his leg in Tampa. Kevin Weekes, the starting goalie, posted a very respectable .933 save percentage and a 1.99 GAA before suffering a concussion late in November. He missed three weeks, then went a not-so-respectable 6-18-5 with a .900 save percentage and 2.86 GAA.

Back-up goalie Arturs Irbe, the hero of the 2002 playoffs, was so bad (3.18 GAA and .877 save percentage) that 29 other teams passed him over after he was placed on waivers by the 'Canes, who sent him to their American Hockey League affiliate in Lowell, Mass., for a seven-game wake-up stint.

Sami Kapanen, a five-time 20-goal scorer, scored just once in the '02 playoffs and had just six goals when Carolina dealt him to Philly in February. Bates Battaglia, who became a hockey-watching household name on the BBC line with a career-high 21 goals in 2002, was disappointing and was dealt to Colorado for promising Czech Radim Vrbata in March. Jaroslav Svoboda, who was expected to be a front-runner for the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, missed 23 games with a shoulder injury and mustered only 3 goals and 14 points.

Carolina's brass was lenient with Maurice, deciding that he'd done all he could with what he had. Raleigh's newly hooked-on-hockey fans were pretty lenient, too, practically filling the RBC Center even when it was painfully obvious that one of their newly-formed men's league teams could have held its own against the 'Canes.

Looking at next season
On draft day, 'Canes GM Jim Rutherford sent David Tanabe and Igor Knyazev -- first-round picks in 1999 and 2001, respectfully -- to Phoenix for highly-touted defenseman Danny Markov. Rutherford found out too late about Markov's Russian League contract option. After failing to strike a deal with the Hurricanes, Markov bolted and signed with Lada Togliatti. The Hurricanes took the money slotted for Markov and acquired veteran Bob Boughner from the Calgary Flames for a 2004 fourth-round draft pick and future considerations.

With the addition of Boughner and the signing of unrestricted free agent Glen Wesley, who had been traded to Toronto in March, Carolina's defense is similar to the one that went to the finals in 2002. Boughner adds a little bit of muscle and grit to the roster spot once occupied by Marek Malik, since dealt to Vancouver, and slated to be filled by Markov. Bruno St. Jacques, a solid young defenseman acquired from Philadelphia in the Kapanen deal, will fill the hole left by Tanabe. Veterans Bret Hedican, Sean Hill and Aaron Ward round out the top six, with Niclas Wallin falling to the seven-spot. A club can never have too many able-bodied defensemen, but should Markov elect to reconsider his decision to play in Russia and return to the Canes, Rutherford would have to do some smart maneuvering to free up enough money to pay him.

Draft day wasn't all bad for the Hurricanes. They took center Eric Staal with the second overall pick of the draft. Staal, ranked the top prospect in the draft by many scouts, plays a Francis-style, all-around game. Should he make the team, he'll bump Kevyn Adams from the third-line center role. (Maurice rarely uses his fourth line, but Adams can make up ice time on the penalty kill, while Staal would likely only be ready to play minimal minutes at even strength).

Josef Vasicek will likely move to the left wing alongside Francis and Jeff O'Neill, whose third consecutive 30-goal season was one of last year's only bright spots. The second line could consist of Cole, Brind'Amour and Vrbata, with Marty Murray (acquired at the draft for a sixth-round pick in 2004), Kevyn Adams and Craig Adams on the third.

The future looks a little brighter for the Hurricanes, who will be able to stock their fourth line and minor league system with talented prospects. Last season, eight rookies scored their first NHL goals for the Hurricanes, with five scoring in their NHL debuts. Mike Zigomanis, Jeff Heerema and Ryan Bayda -- each 22 -- have the best chance of competing for a spot on a roster that already has little wiggle room.

After Irbe's play-me-or-trade-me mandate and subsequent nose-dive last season, the Hurricanes have given the Latvian's agent permission to shop elsewhere, leaving Kevin Weekes as the undisputed No. 1 with youngster Patrick DesRochers backing up.

Should the Hurricanes start the season with a winning record, Maurice can be confident in his job security. But if they stumble out of the blocks, the front office's patience will start to wear thin.

Then again, after last season, things really can't get any worse.

Lindsay Berra of ESPN The Magazine can be e-mailed at lindsay.berra@espnmag.com.