Hurricanes
Brind'Amour: perfect example of a team that's been playing playoff hockey for a month and a team that hasn't.
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour spoke about his team's 3-1 playoff opening win vs. the Islanders
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Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour spoke about his team's 3-1 playoff opening win vs. the Islanders
Things up in the third. Is that how you saw it too? You think? Well, yeah, you know, partially, you know, I mean, we weren't great, that's for sure. Um, I think there was a perfect example of a team that's been playing playoff hockey for a month in a team that hasn't, and it was like, whoa, and we just couldn't get going. And then I thought, you know, as the game kind of wore on, we started getting kind of up to speed with, uh, you know, how it's gonna be nothing against any of the other guys who have played golf for you. But it's kind of seems like it makes a little bit of a difference when you've got Freddie in there from game one playing like that. Yeah, he's difference in the game. Obviously, um, it's been made countless saves tonight, kept us in it and we're able to, you know, squeak it out. So, obviously, that was the difference in the game. Nason gets the screen on the first goal and then he likes, he collects the rebound. Is that what is that what it's gonna take in playoff hockey is just getting into those areas right in the crease and putting putts on all the goals are like that. Right. It's just, you know, tough, tough sled and not a lot of room and you gotta get bodies there, bounces and guys that are willing to get there usually have a little more success. Rod. Do you get a sense when you watch Freddie play? We've, we've watched for a long time how he can lock a game down. It almost was like you give up a goal there and you, you sensed maybe a big period, he got one in the third period. Do you, you almost have that expectation of him most nights? Well, he's, he's just listen, we got him for a reason. He's a, he's a great goalie and unfortunately, you know, he's missed a lot of time. And so this is what you get him for though, this, this time of year. And, um, you know, he's always been a great goalie. He's just, I think he hasn't been able to stay in there so hopefully he can stay healthy cause if he plays like that, you know, we're, it, it's a huge, huge thing. Obviously, goaltending is, it's our, it is what it is in this league. You gotta have it court. You said that, you know, obviously they've been kind of playing desperate hockey for a while. But were you encouraged by how a few of your guys really got in the fight? It seemed like Svet was all, was all night. Um, with the way he, uh, battled around the boards and stuff. I mean, the Express just missed all last playoffs. So I'm sure he was, you know, extremely hungry to be out there. Um, yeah, I mean, there's, listen, it wasn't a terrible game. You gotta give the other team a lot of credit. I, I think that's really where it goes. They were ready to go and at that, you know, the way you gotta do it this time of year with a player like Kuznetsov who's had success in the playoffs previously. Do you have a little more confidence in a player like that? And also you said, you know, it was tough going in the beginning for you to find your game. Did that make the Kuznetsov goal in the first minute? That much more important for sure? Um Yeah, I mean, he's a proven winner. I mean, he's, he, he's done it in the playoffs, like you said, and he's got a Stanley Cup ring to, to, to prove it. So, um and tonight again, he was obviously good. So it was a, he's a, a veteran guy. There's certainly no panic in his game in, in, in this type of environment. That's, that's, I think what uh makes him special coach Rod going back to veal in his first playoff game back, even though he doesn't get the score. He did a great job against the four check providing big hits even though he doesn't score in tonight's game. Are you ok with that element that he brings? Especially to those. I mean, I thought, I thought he was, start to finish one of our better players and, and we had a, he had a handful of chances and I don't know anybody else really had too many. He was, uh, you know, he was a force and that's what we need out of him. Ok.