'I Have To Bury That': Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal, Rod Brind'Amour On Late Push, Loss To Oilers

Mar 1, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) gets the shot away against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) during the third period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

The Carolina Hurricanes' late surge came up short as they fell 3-1 to the Edmonton Oilers Saturday night at Lenovo Center.

The Oilers jumped out to a 2-0 lead early, and while the Canes managed to push back within a goal, they ultimately couldn't find another.

After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour along with Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho spoke with the media. Here's what they had to say:

Rod Brind'Amour

On the team's late push: We always seem to do that. The start wasn't good obviously. The urgency there, giving up a shorty, you're just not going to recover from that too often and that's what got us tonight.

On the power play: That's the game right there. Get down 2-0, then we have a great power play and convert. That's it.

On if there should have been a delay of game penalty following Aho's shorthanded bid to tie it late: He's a veteran, he knows what he's doing. But you can't really call that. But it was obvious. He was diving for no reason. It was a good play by him because you know the ref isn't going to call that. But we had it right there. There was your chance, especially it being 5v4, being down and then getting a breakaway. It's all you can ask. Their goalie made a nice save. That's the game right there.

On the goaltending: There could have been a lot more goals, really, either way. But can't give them too many. In a game like this against that team, you certainly can't gift them one and that's what I felt like we did there.

On getting back at it tomorrow: Obviously we can get the sour taste out if we come out with a good effort tomorrow.

On the key to avoiding these slow starts: I don't know. We had a great start the other night. I think it's just that, listen, the other team was desperate too. They played a great game. You have to tip your hat. We had no room and we had to fight for every inch that we got and we did. The second half of the game, I thought was very, very good. It really just breaks down to the power play segment because other than that, the game was fairly even.

On the game-winning goal: Well, we had the puck on our tape and we gave it to them. Again, it goes to a world-class player and they're going to make plays. It's a fine line and it was again tonight. They made a couple better plays than we did.

Jordan Staal

On the slow start : That's been a lot of our games, especially lately. Slow starts are really what it comes down to with not getting the win. I'd love to see that desperation right off the bat. It's tough to come back in this league. I did obviously like our desperation at the end, but it's gotta be there the whole game. Have to be better all the way through, but we did some good things too, for sure.

On the three failed power plays in the first period: That was a big moment there. I thought that kind of ate some of the momentum. I think we had three in the first and then were down one with a shorty. So that's never great. They're a good team and they kept going, kept playing. It was a good game after that.

On if the amount of penalties disrupts the 5v5 game: Well, I mean, if you're on the power play, I'm sure you're happy about it and we had a lot of them so it was good. But I think our 5v5 game was pretty even. They had some good pushes and good shifts, especially in the second and made us pay on that one. Like I said, I thought we had a good push in the third and played some good hockey, but I think we came up short because of that first period.

On defending against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl: They're both exceptional players and they're at the top of the league in scoring every year for a reason. It's pretty difficult, especially since we have a lot of 1-on-1s out there. You try to help but when you do help, they find open guys and they can make you pay quick. I thought we did a pretty good job. They had a few really good shifts and plays that they didn't make us pay on, but I thought we had every opportunity towards the end to win the game too. It was a good hockey game besides that first period I think. 

On the goaltending: Freddie was good. There was a lot of chances and a lot of plays that could have gone either way, but yeah. That was the game.

Sebastian Aho

On failing to convert on his shorthanded breakaway: I have to bury that. No way around it. Had the game on my stick in a way or at least a chance to force OT. I thought we created a lot in the third. I mean, yeah... it sucks.

On if he felt there should have been a delay of game penalty after the Oilers knocked the net off immediately following his chance: Honestly, I was chasing the puck in the corner so I didn't get to see what happened exactly, but usually... I don't know. If he did that on purpose, then it's a smart play by him to not get a penalty. But I honestly didn't see it. The crowd kind of wanted the penalty and obviously we were down a goal there. Yeah, I don't know. I don't have an answer to that.

On the first period: I thought the first period was the worst period for us. You'd like to see us starting better, obviously. Especially the way we've been playing lately. But guys are working hard and we always get to our game, but we just have to bring it from the first shift. Three power plays there for example. If you're not scoring, then you're not scoring, but giving up one too, that hurts. We were still right there and we had plenty of chances at the end to tie the game and force the OT. 

On what went right on the power play in which they scored: I won the draw there, so that was big. I lost, I think, the first three. We were working hard, making good plays, crucial passes and obviously at the end there, [Mikko Rantanen] with the unreal backdoor seam for the tap-in.

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