CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • May 25, 2021 The Hurricanes are still trying to make Svech happen against the Predators By Luke DeCock Waiting on Jaccob Slavin to return from injury As badly as the Carolina Hurricanes are missing Jaccob Slavin was not among the seven skaters and three goalies Slavin, who hasn’t played since Game 1, they’re also missing (Petr Mrazek, James Reimer, Antoine Bibeau) who practiced Andrei Svechnikov, who has. The electric winger who is at PNC Arena on Monday morning, none of whom played in capable of turning a game around with one unstoppable shot Game 5. His availability for Game 5 remains uncertain … has yet to make any kind of real impact on a series where and critical. Brind’Amour said there was no change in his essentially every game has been decided by a single goal. status: Slavin will tell him when he’s ready to play after missing the past three games. It’s been an up and down third NHL season for Svechnikov, but with the Hurricanes desperately struggling to convert In his absence, during what amounted to more than an extra chances into goals with the series against the Nashville game of hockey in games 3 and 4, Brett Pesce played a total Predators tied 2-2 heading back to Raleigh on Tuesday, they of 79:43 and Brady Skjei 79:01. The two defensemen have need their most talented goal-scorer to contribute. been absolute workhorses, but that kind of duty has to take a toll at some point, if it didn’t already as the two losses That said, he hasn’t lost his confidence. Svechnikov even dragged deep into a second overtime. smiled Monday when asked if he was getting frustrated. “I feel fine,” Skjei said. “We work hard throughout the season “Nothing too frustrated,” Svechnikov said. “I’m confident for these kinds of moments.” we’re going to go the next two games and show our best game to them. It’s going to be a little bit different game. Some unexpected contributions have come from Maxime We’re going to be fired up, especially in our building.” Lajoie, who jumped ahead of Jake Gardiner on the depth chart thanks to his defensive reliability despite spending the Despite playing for all but one period with linemates who are entire season in the AHL and played heavily in both road also getting plenty of scoring chances and owning some of games. the best possession numbers on the team, Svechnikov has yet to actually get anything past Juuse Saros. His only goal “That’s a tough position,” Brind’Amour said. “We’ve got a of the series, on 21 shots, is the empty-netter to seal Game couple (young) guys in the lineup, on the back end, that’s 1. tough. Not the easiest thing to do at this level, jumping in there. They’re doing their best.” But there’s also a balance Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour is trying to strike, because the Hurricanes have Cedric Paquette, who has yet to play in the series, was liked Svechnikov’s offensive game overall. among the seven skaters Monday. “His effort’s been great,” Brind’Amour said. “He had a few Two of the longest games in franchise history last night, one in overtime down the wing where he ripped it and that’s his game. He’s been great in the offensive zone. I The two double-overtime games in Nashville ended up being don’t really say too much generally. When he needs a little the second- and third-longest games in franchise history, tweaking in other areas, that’s when we get to him. He’s a trailing only the triple-overtime loss to Detroit in the 2002 creative player and he’s working hard. We’ve kind of got to Stanley Cup finals. let him do his thing.” “It’s a tough way to lose, when you give everything like that,” Unfortunately, this kind of slump has been all too common Brind’Amour said. “I think the guys felt like the ice was tilted for Svechnikov this season -- perhaps coincidentally, in our favor and it didn’t work out. You have to move on. perhaps not -- with his unresolved contract extension We’ve done that all year.” hanging over his head. After a fast start with six goals in the The two losses also continued a disturbing trend that goes first eight games, Svechnikov scored only three goals in the back 30 years: The Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers are 1-7 all- final 15 games of the regular season and went multiple time in multiple-OT playoff games. The only win was at stretches of six games or more without a goal. Washington in Game 7 in 2019, on Brock McGinn’s goal. On a normal, 82-game schedule, he was on a 22-goal pace, By the numbers regressing from his 31-goal pace last season. Analytically speaking, Sunday’s first period and second “Personally for me, I feel like I just got to drive to the net a overtime were the two best periods the Hurricanes have little bit harder, find space in front of the net, put the puck in played in the series, controlling 81.2% and 74.3% of five-on- the net,” Svechnikov said. “It’s easy to say that, but we have five shot attempts respectively. The Predators still managed to do that more as a team to get in front and maybe screen to outscore the Hurricanes 2-1 in those two periods, which is or something, so we can score those goals.” a big reason why the series is tied 2-2 going into Game 5. CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • May 25, 2021 All of that means the Game 5 keys for the Hurricanes are the Predators at Hurricanes: Game 5 Stanley Cup Playoffs oldest in hockey: More traffic in front, get to more rebounds, get more shots through. When: Tuesday, 8 p.m. “They do a great job getting in the lane, not just their first guy Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh but their second guy, too,” Skjei said. “Maybe try to move a Watch: CNBC, BSSO bit and get a few more pucks through.” After 2 double-overtime losses, Canes players help Rod Brind’Amour ‘pick up the pieces’ By Chip Alexander defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who has missed the past three games with a lower-body injury that has become more Brady Skjei of the Carolina Hurricanes had never played in troubling with each passing day. back-to-back double-overtime games, at any level of hockey. Neither had Andrei Svechnikov. Brind’Amour did not rule out Slavin for Game 5. Nor did he sound very encouraging about the prospect of Slavin playing, Now, both have. And lost both. And expended a lot of energy saying, “I wait for him to come tell me ‘I’m in’ and we’ll pencil while losing both. him in.” The Canes’ two losses to the Nashville Predators in the ‘Basically starting over’ in series Stanley Cup playoffs were frustrating and gut-wrenching. In Game 4 on Sunday, just as in Game 3, the Canes were one Skjei and Svechnikov sounded generally upbeat Monday. good shot away from victory, only to see the other team Neither said they felt overly taxed physically or fatigued. make that shot and wildly celebrate after a double-overtime win. “I’m feeling fine,” said Skjei, who played 39 minutes on Sunday. “I think we work hard throughout the season for Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said he wasn’t quite sure these kinds of moments. Overall, I’m not too tired.” what to expect Monday when the team gathered for meetings at PNC Arena to go over the planning for Skjei mentioned that Brind’Amour and Bill Burniston, the Tuesday’s Game 5. Canes’ strength and conditioning coach, have developed a well-crafted program for maintaining the players’ strength “The mood was actually better than I thought,” Brind’Amour and stamina through the season and in the playoffs. said. “I thought I was going to have to pick up the pieces a little bit and I didn’t. I think it was actually the other way Svechnikov is 21. Most that age need shorter recovery times. around.” With a day off the ice, the winger said, he’ll be ready for Game 5. Brind’Amour and the coaches do not play in the games but invest so much in them, emotionally and mentally. It can be “We’re 2-2 and series is basically starting over,” Brind’Amour draining. The players can skate and hit and shoot the puck said. “The world’s not caving in. We’re starting over. We’re at and compete. The coach can only stand behind the bench home. and take it. “We felt like we could have won and there’s where it gets “That’s a part of coaching and that’s why you probably don’t tough. You have to park it. We’ve moved on and it’s about have long careers in it, at least in my opinion,” Brind’Amour re-energizing and getting excited about the opportunity we said. “Because it does take a toll. I said, ‘What did we do have sitting in front of us.” wrong, why did we lose the game?’ You go through Of note everything. The Canes on Monday signed forward Blake Murray to a “When I played I never blamed the coach for a win or a loss.