1 week Ago By The Hockey News - Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Rangers 7-3 Saturday evening at Lenovo Center, officially knocking the Rangers out of postseason contention. The Canes had a dominant first two periods and managed to weather the Rangers' final push to get the win and snap a four-game losing streak. After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour along with William Carrier, Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho spoke with the media.
Here's what they had to say: Rod Brind'Amour On getting contributions up and down the lineup : That's what has to happen. I think Will, for being out as long as he has, was pretty impactful. I also thought our top line was really good.
But everyone had a hand in it. On if there's any satisfaction in eliminating the Rangers from postseason contention : Eh, not necessarily. We're focused on us.
Not really too concerned about other teams right now. On Logan Stankoven : He could of had a lot more [goals]. That line was good, as usual, but he contributed equally and probably could of had a few more.
He's been a nice addition to our group. On the goaltender interference challenge : I'll explain it to you. This is how I'm looking at it: Our goalie is at the top of the crease.
Set. Getting ready for whatever comes his way. Their player pushes our player into the goalie, clearly because he ended up in the crease.
Not just our player, but their player went in. A little contact, just a little, but watch where [Kochetkov] ends up. He ends up from the top of the crease to two feet back in the net and then he doesn't even a second to come out and the puck goes in the net.
So by the letter of the law, that's an easy goaltender interference, from my end. They're going to have their explanation, but this is why [the challenge] needs to go away. Just take it out of our hands.
That's all we're asking and every coach is asking. You see it over and over. It's hard.
So why put it in our hands? You guys make the call and then we can live with whatever, but the penalty is too much because then the game is different, the stakes are different. It's an easy challenge on my end, but when you're not sure, and nobody really is..
. I just explained it to you and you say, 'Yeah, that's 100% goalie interference,' and is that not what happened? I'm asking you, what did you see? [I nodded my head in agreement] Is that not exactly what happened to the second of it. So that's the problem with this whole thing.
It's tough. On if there's any recourse the team can take : No. We might get an explanation, I don't know, but not then and certainly not after.
The refs, it's not their call. It goes up. We'll get it all figured out, I know they will, because they have this great system up there with better looks than we have, but the way I just detailed it to you is how I've been described it, so that should be an easy one.
But clearly it's not. Because it wasn't. On it being too subjective of a rule : Obviously.
Because how I just explained it like that, but obviously we're gonna get a different explanation. So I don't know. On getting Pyotr Kochetkov back in the win column : He was good.
Early, I don't know if had a ton of work, but then there were a few and that's the difference. You could see when they got the one power play goal, they started to go and he was solid in the third. William Carrier On getting back into game action : It feels good.
Takes a little bit to get going, but felt great. On getting his feet back under him : Everyone's been going hard all year, the systems are all in and it was obviously a big game for them so we knew they were going to come out jumping, so just tried to get my game going and obviously having new linemates too. Kind of tough, you have to learn a bit, but I'll give myself a couple games here to get going.
On Mark Jankowski : 90% of the chances in the slot, he's going to put it in. On if he worried he wouldn't be able to play this season : Yeah, it was in the mix. You never know with these.
Out so long and you just never know. You're two months in and you're like, 'It's not really better.' It's a long process, you just have to trust it.
Same day, the doctor said I'd be back. On what the past three months have been like for him : It was tough. Watching games from up there is tough.
Team went on a good stretch though. They were winning, playing well. So it makes it easier.
It's when the team is losing that you want to get out there and try to help. On getting that first hit : Had to see if it was going to hold. You're never sure until you get out there as you can't really test it out in practice.
Can't hit your own guy. So it was nice to get out there and get a few in. Seth Jarvis On if it feels good to knock the Rangers out of postseason contention : I mean, a little bit.
We've got a long history with them and they've gotten the better of us a lot of times, so it's nice to knock them out. But I mean, it's just great to get a win and get back into the win column after the last couple of games and kind of play the way we did tonight. On Will Carrier : A lot of hits.
I think he have recaptured his team lead again. He had it for three months, lost it for like two days, and I think got it back. He's great, a physical force and he makes plays too.
On Jackson Blake : He's doing great. It was just a matter of time before those chances started going in. I mean, he's a really good player so he wasn't gonna be held off forever and it's nice to see him scoring now.
On his line playing bigger than their size : The bigger guys we play against, they catch us a few times, but I think we do a good job of using our speed and outsmarting them a little bit. Winning puck battles with our stick and feet. I think that's what Blaker does really well and me and Fishy also do well.
So I think that's why our line is having success. On getting back in the win column : It's huge. We lost our game for a little bit there.
For a little while, we had spurts of it, but to come out to play the way we did for the first two periods...
the third wasn't great, but for most of the game, was really good. Sebastian Aho On if he took any pleasure in knocking the Rangers out of postseason contention : Nah. I mean, we're just focused on ourselves.
I don't know. Obviously haven't been able to win as of late and so it was good to get back on track, especially how we started the game was good. Kind of took over there.
On the third period : It was 4-1 and it was their final push there. We obviously probably took the foot off the gas there a little bit, but that's kind of human nature and what happens. Obviously we can be a little sharper in moments, but overall, pretty good.
On the team letting up once they clinched a postseason berth : It's your job to get ready for the games. Obviously there might be moments where we maybe haven't put the best foot forward and sometimes it's just kind of the human mind works, but there's no excuses. Everyone wants to win games and do their job as good as they can, but yeah, can't wait for the playoffs.
On Jackson Blake's scoring touch : Yeah, he can get more. No, it's good. Obviously we're a top line and we play a lot of minutes so we have to score.
Do whatever you can to help the team win, but yeah, sometimes it's scoring goals or sometimes just blocking a shot. But yeah whenever you can help the team win a game, we're doing our job. Obviously he's been on a pretty good run here as of late.
On Jackson Blake's on-puck abilities : [Physicality] doesn't faze him and it can't, especially where we're going in a couple of weeks. Just have to play your game. Obviously he's shifty and smart.
He plays with his head up. On Logan Stankoven : Stanky definitely is a fiery guy and likes to battle hard. Same kind of deal.
Not the biggest guy, but shifty and he's aware when he's out there. Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story..
