Jesperi Kotkaniemi said his grandparents, who flew over for Christmas, were here for the game and it was the first time they had seen him play in the NHL. They had flown into Montreal before but he had gotten sent down that same day.
A good time for him to snap his dry streak.
The worst part of the playoffs is hearing northern opponents continuously parrot the idea that Carolina's fanbase doesn't know hockey. Very tired takes.
Jesse Puljujarvi on Edmonton: "There were good times and hard times. I enjoyed a lot of guys. It was a pleasure to be a part of it and be an NHL player. I'm getting a new opportunity and I'm excited about that."
The Hurricanes were all trying out cut-resistant, wrist sleeves today at practice. Skjei said the team was testing them out. Mentioned they haven't discussed neck guards yet, but that he wouldn't be opposed to them.
Asked Necas if Raanta reminded him a bit of his good friend Petr Mrazek tonight and he said that Mrazek would have been way more aggressive. Said that he would have been all the way out at the blueline, gotten hit and would have then laid on the ice for two hours.
Teravainen's linemates with some jokes on the winger getting just his second assist of the season.
Jarvis: "He's too selfish with the puck. He's got to move it more."
Aho: "Finally. I've been open all season. Finally he passed a couple."
Kuznetsov has been very candid and very accountable in his first presser. More to come, but one impactful quote: "This is my last opportunity, this is my last chance."
Necas was asked what he thought Trouba's intention might have been on his attempted hit: "IDK, I guess elbow me in the head. Maybe he was protecting himself from going into the boards, but he knows. He knows. Everyone knows what kind of player he is."
Martinook on Jarvis' physicality:
“We found out he led our team in hits for the first round and he was giving it to me. He was like, ‘Did you hit somebody?’”
“I had a good one today. Had Jarvy in my ear.”
I asked Teravainen about playing with Kuznetsov: "It's been fun... I thought Roddy would never play us together because we'd just end up passing to each other."
Seth Jarvis has been on fire as of late with goals in four straight games, so I asked him what's been working for him: "I haven't been really thinking, so that's good. ... I just keep a pretty spaced out head. Nothing going on in there."
Jarvis on Kochetkov: "That flying poke check was sweet. I loved that. He's crazy as you can tell from him jawing at Tkachuk after. Everyone loves that, we love him and he did a great job tonight."
Some interesting insight from Svechnikov on Pacioretty: "I was just so happy to see him. He was on our team last year and I thought he was a great player. To be honest, I learned a lot from him in those four games in how he protects the puck. (1/2)
I asked Brind'Amour today about Aho passing him for fourth-most points in franchise history:
"First of all, it took him long enough... He gets every opportunity possible."
Gostisbehere said Carolina was the first team to really offer him a contract in free agency and he appreciated that the Canes were interested in him and showed it right away
Asked Aho if he was giving Bedard a 'Welcome to the NHL moment:' "That was him?"
Continued: "It was just how the play went. It's not like I was hunting him down or anything like that."
Felix Unger Sorum just came out of the locker room and it looked like he was just really taking it all in.
Been a whirlwind of a summer for the freshly turned 18 year old who was drafted just 89 days ago and will now be playing in an NHL preseason game tonight.
If I had a nickel for every time PK has had a facedown with an Atlantic division captain, I'd have two nickels which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.
Kuzy mentioned plumbing in his postgame interview yesterday too.
"The way I understand it from the coaching staff, they want me to be me. They don't want me to be a plumber out there, they want me to be me. To create and make those passes and it's kind of nice to hear that."
Sebastian Aho on being a consistent playoff producer: "Honestly, at this time of year, I just want to win hockey games. I was just as happy at Brady's goal as my own. You put that stuff aside this time of year. (1/2)
Jeremy Roenick
•1363 games (154 playoffs)
•513 goals (53)
•1216 points (122)
•No NHL hardware (Olympic Silver)
Rod Brind'Amour
•1484 games (159 playoffs)
•452 goals (51)
•1184 points (111)
•2 Selkes, Captained team to Stanley Cup
Antti Raanta picks up his first win since Nov. 22, first time winning in a full game since Nov. 18. Made 18 saves on 21 shots.
Here's the moment for him when the clock struck 0:00
More from Necas: "At the moment I didn't even see what happened. I saw it on a replay after the game. I mean it's whatever. Good for him, he ran into the boards head first."
"Good to dodge the hit as it probably wouldn't have ended well, but I'm here, it's fine."
Necas was asked what he thought Trouba's intention might have been on his attempted hit: "IDK, I guess elbow me in the head. Maybe he was protecting himself from going into the boards, but he knows. He knows. Everyone knows what kind of player he is."
In the short time he was a Cane, Kuzy seemed like a very genuine and down to Earth guy. Accepted responsibility for his past and was overtly grateful for his opportunities.
A funny guy and he had one of the more iconic goals in Hurricanes history.
Wishing him the best.
Carolina has the second worst net penalty differential in the league behind only the Coyotes. Usually you would expect a top-end, possession-heavy team to draw more calls. That hasn’t been the case this year.
Raanta looked very defeated in his stall after the game. Stayed there in his gear looking at the floor for a while. A lot of guys coming up to him. You can tell his performances are weighing on him.
New 📰 for
@TheHockeyNews
With this year's HHOF selections set to be revealed Wednesday, it's time we get one thing straight: Rod Brind'Amour should be a Hall-of-Famer.
Brind'Amour on Svechnikov: "He's got to be better. He's gotta be Svech, not what we've seen here lately. It's up to me to find away to get him to be better but it's also on him to be better. He knows it. He's a big part of what we want to do."
Antti Raanta on this moment: "When you've been here by yourself, your parents and family ask you how it feels, so it was great for my mom to be here and experience that. It's always special and you know that you did something right in the game to get that kind of ovation. (1/2)
Brind'Amour on officiating: "That game was officiated very, very well. They let the players play. There was no ticky-tack penalties that we've seen all year. And people are like, 'Where's the penalty?' Let them play. And I thought it was an exciting game. Tons of offense. (1/2)
Brind'Amour was asked this morning by
@corylav
about Svech taking a puck up high before scoring the game winner: "He miraculously got cured once there was a scoring chance the other way."
I know
@TrippTracy
touched on this a bunch during the broadcast, but that's the calmest I've seen Kochetkov play. He was tracking and holding onto pucks extremely well and didn't overextend himself at all. Also removed himself from those netfront scrums. Big game for him.
Asked Drury if he had any worry in the back of his mind after so many disallowed goals: "For a second, I looked over at their bench and I was thinking, 'Please don't be reviewing this'"
Seth Jarvis said he tore his labrum and rotator cuff about 15 games into the season. Played through it the whole year. Also broke a finger in the Islanders series.
Interim GM Eric Tulsky: “Jalen has been an integral part of our blue line over the last two seasons and firmly established himself as an NHL defenseman. His elite speed and tireless work ethic make him an incredibly dynamic player at both ends of the ice.”
Svechnikov on Kochetkov's play: "Huge. The last couple of goals is on the players not on him, but he's been huge. Everyone sees that. Whenever he makes the save, the whole crowd is yelling. I think he loves it for sure."
Someone in Tampa asked Noesen if Nikita Kucherov's absence had an impact on the Canes being able to win: "You have to go ask them that question. We play our game. I don't really care who they have on their team... plus I don't really play against him so, I could care less."
Evgeny Kuznetsov with a strong message: "For those people struggling outside with motivation, just accept the reality, work hard and just believe. You gotta believe and you just gotta find motivation in your life and do for your closest ones and things will get better."
Obviously Raanta and Slavin would be the Canes' current Conn Smythe frontrunners, but what Jordan Staal has done to shut down the opposing top lines has been astounding. Add in a little bit of offense and he may be the most crucial playoff piece right now.
Brind'Amour said he challenged the goal 1) because he thought it should have been a good goal and 2) because the officials told him that it would have been a 4-on-3 if they lost it.
Full response ⬇️
An all-timer from Seth Jarvis in the post-game tonight:
(Obviously these were jokes and he gave a bit more in his pressers too, but here's the best bits)
On Sebastian Aho: "I don't know, he kind of sucks... His head's kind of big right now, so I have to keep him humble."
I asked Brind'Amour about the ways players develop faceoff skills in relation to Jarvis and he mentioned maturity and how you get better as you get older.
I followed that up by asking if that was also true for him as a player...
"I've always been good."
Evgeny Kuznetsov full quote on playing his first home game at PNC Arena: "That was a good emotion when they cheer for me. It's one of those that gives you extra energy and you know, this building is actually not bad when you play on the other side. (1/2)
Aho on the scrum: "I wasn't on the ice, but it's just what we do. We stick up for each other. I don't know what happened, but everyone was in there. Even [Kochetkov] tried to get in there. That just shows how much he cares. That's just how hockey goes some times."
We were chatting in the room after practice with Svechnikov about his favorite places to go for road games. Said he liked New York, Florida (Miami specifically), Vegas and Chicago. However he quickly followed that up with, "But my favorite city is Raleighwood, baby!"
Jarvis on Staal and Martinook sticking up for him after the push by Hagg: "I really appreciate that. I know that I have guys who have my back and it makes it easier to play out there. That's why [Staal] has a 'C' and [Martinook] has an 'A.' (1/2)
Canes and Necas reach a deal before arbitration.
Two years at $6.5 million AAV per
@FriedgeHNIC
This seemed highly unlikely heading into the offseason, but here we are. Now one deal left to do.
Listening back to it, Pyotr Kochetkov's presser was great.
On last game: "When I came back last game, I no had confidence after the red line goal. I just focus... for my position and my hands. I don't have lots of ideas, I just want to do my work."
Teravainen called for the shootout. Kochetkov dives out for the pokecheck, but Turbo chases down the puck and throws it on net from the goalline and Kochetkov dives into the net and snares it down. Emphatically waved his arms in the no-goal motion afterwards.
Andersen was asked if he was surprised to see Martinook win it: "No. I've seen him do that move in practice on me. He's more skilled than people give him credit for. He provides a lot of energy for us and he can score, so it's cool to seem him finish it on a nice move like that."
Kochetkov is rocking a toothless look currently. Missing one of his top front teeth. He said it broke off on his first day of vacation while he was eating. To be fair, it was also already a fake he said.
Waddell/Brind'Amour exit interview highlights:
•Necas is a player they won't just give up on
•Nikishin coming over this year isn't "dead yet"
•No major surgeries expected for the group. DeAngelo will have one for his hand
•Canes have full hockey ops control over Wolves
A very mature response from Brendan Lemieux on handling being a routine scratch: "I'm just blessed to be in a place where I have a coach who takes good care of me. You can always tell the difference between a guy who cares and one who doesn't. (1/3)
After signing Necas, the Canes should have a little over $9 million to work with, which is more than enough to get Jarvis' deal done.
I'm expecting (just a feel, no insider info) a long-term deal in the $8-$8.5 range