“Pulock gives it away,” shouted out Hurricanes play-by-play man Mike Maniscalco. His voice increasing by an octave as each minute passed in overtime. Carolina was a single shot away from securing their place in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “As Stepan, side of the net. Stastny sharp angle. HE SCORES! HE SCORES! Paul Stastny ends it in overtime!” Stastny’s teammates rush to celebrate with him behind the Islander’s net.
Carolina Hurricanes’ head coach Rod Brind’Amour hops into the air with excitement. Quickly he turned to his long-time assistant Jeff Daniels, then to his former team and the newest member of his coaching staff, Tim Gleason. Both men received a celebratory fist bump. Brind’Amour isn’t new to winning in the playoffs. Earlier in the series against the New York Islanders, he achieved more wins than any of his predecessors in franchise history. After winning the series Rod became only the second head coach in National Hockey League history to win a playoff series in each of his first five seasons with the same team. So why was he so excited?
Hurricanes team reporter Walt Ruff asked Brind’Amour about the moment. “It’s a big goal and I’m a little excited for the guys because I know how hard it is and how much work they put in,” Rod replied. “It’s what you play and coach for. Those are great moments, to watch your team pull it out.” But it goes deeper than that. Brind’Amour wasn’t just happy about his team pulling out the win. Brind’Amour acknowledged what every Hurricanes fan knows, the team lacks integral pieces.
“Give the guys a lot of credit,” Rod said in a press conference after game six. “Especially with what we’re missing. It’s hard to believe that we are missing three all-star players in my opinion. We’re still finding a way to do it. That says a lot about what’s left in there. [Carolina’s locker room]. That’s for sure.”
“Whatever it Takes” was the slogan coined by the team’s head coach, Peter Laviolette during their successful Stanley Cup run in 2006. Seventeen years later the team landed on “Collectively.” A clear tongue-in-cheek reference to the team’s adversity due to injuries throughout the regular season.
Paul Stastny’s overtime-winning goal is the highlight of a rocky season that has seen Stasny have a smaller role with his new team. No power play time, and no top-line minutes. He even spent some time as a member of the press box bunch, sitting out of the team’s lineup. Now he’s the overtime hero no one expected.
If Carolina hopes to win a round two match up against the New York Rangers or New Jersey Devils, a goal like the Stastny OT winner will be a requirement. “It’s not going to be one guy,” Brind’Amor said. “Aho was great. He did everything he could to help us with this series. But he wasn’t going to be able to do it on his own. Everyone kind of contributed.”
Brind’Amour’s excitement at the end of the game wasn’t just about a single win. It wasn’t just about a series win. It was the moment Rod knew his team would give everything it takes to make a deep run in their quest for the Stanley Cup. “We’re never out of a game. Like, we always find a way. Even if we lose we get going,” Brind’Amour said.
No one knows how the Hurricanes will end their season. Hockey fans in the New York Metro arena are betting on a second-round exit. Caniacs hope for an Eastern Conference appearance. Maybe the team will defy the odds and end their season lifting the cup above their heads. Only one thing can be guaranteed for this team, Brind’Amour’s guys will face the challenge collectively.
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