The Carolina Hurricanes are still alive thanks to a 4-3 win Saturday night at PNC Arena.
Despite seeing a three-goal first period end in a 3-3 soon into the third period, a late power play goal by Brady Skjei, the first of the series, propelled them to a win.
After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour along with Skjei, Sebastian Aho, Jake Guentzel, Frederik Andersen and Stefan Noesen spoke with the media. Here's what they had to say:
Rod Brind'Amour
On if he'd rather the team hold on to the early lead or if the poetic end was better: I don't care. You just have to get 'W's at this time of year.
On the team staying composed after giving up the lead: It's one thing I can appreciate with this group. We just kind of, all year... forever that we've been doing this, we always just seem to be able to just focus on, whatever happens good or bad, the next play. That's basically what happened. I don't know if we were great the rest of the way, but we certainly didn't go the other way which could have happened.
On the power play adjustments: We've had some good looks in this series on the power play. Like Svech's had three or four right in the slot, even had the other one tonight and in Game 1, we had a couple of posts. You're going to go through those little stretches where you don't want to give up chances, that's the real dagger, but I thought tonight we had a couple of good looks again and just lucky to get one in. That's the game.
On handing the Rangers their first loss: I thought they played a great game, actually. I thought we came out well, which was very, very important and then I thought they answered the bell and had a good game. For us, I thought of the four that we've played, it was our least effective game overall, but hockey's weird. You get the bounce here or there or you get a shot that goes in. That's what happens, but we live to fight another day. That's the most important thing.
On Frederik Andersen's mental resolve: The one thing about Freddie that we know is that he's very even keel. He never gets too high or too low. He's a pro. You'd love to have that one back, but then he made a great save on the rush that came in and the guy knocked it out of the air and he had to be there. It's always about the next play, the next shift and you have to be able to deal with that and he does.
On the decision to start Andersen tonight: We were just debating giving him that little rest. We always planned to have him come back and play anyway.
On Sebastian Aho: He was great tonight. Svech again was just a force. Those guys in particular stood out for us on the positive side and they have to. Your best players... it's clear. Look at their best guys. They're all over it and our guys have been too.
On if he felt stress for the players heading into the game because of the situation or if he has that innate belief in the team: There's a ton of stress, but I think we were able to...it's just, you know, there's another game. What are you going to do? You can't win four games tonight. You can't even think about that, but you can just go do your job and we've been doing a pretty good job of it. I haven't been at all disappointed with the way we've played. Could we be sharper in certain areas, yes, but what are you going to do? And our guys have been through this enough and we have great leadership in there that just keep us focused on the game. Tonight we can feel good about it and then we have to get back at it tomorrow and have to repeat.
On how he would quantify pressure in the series: [Winning the next game] is what we have to do. We probably make too big a deal out of it. We just have to figure out how to be better than tonight. We can't give up those opportunities and expect to win. And certainly not three more. We have to lock it down a lot better than we did tonight or we won't win. We have to be better, but we still have a lot of belief in that room. That's the thing that's never changed and you have to have it.
On Jesperi Kotkaniemi's impact on the opening goal: His effort's always been there. It's been probably a tough year overall, but he's a big guy and I think he has to redefine his game and be physical. He's got a great shot. Like he's got to be able to understand that a little bit and I think he is starting to grasp it. We're going to need all 20 guys and he's a big part of that.
On if he looks to other examples of comebacks in this situation: We don't need to do that. They understand the situation. They understand. It's just about staying focused and winning one more game. That's all we can do and then take it from there.
On the Jordan Staal line: We've talked a lot all year on Jordan Staal's impact and what he's done for our group not only on the ice but off the ice. He always gets the tough matchups. He's never out there against not the top guys and whoever you play him with, he's the king of that line. I can't even express to you as a coach how important that player is to our team.
Brady Skjei
On finding a way to come out with the win despite blowing a two-goal lead: It was huge. Obviously we've always believed in our team and we weren't coming back, but we believe we can always come back in a game. Giving up that lead was tough but nice to finally get one on the power play. It was a huge goal at the time and now we just have to keep moving forward to New York.
On finally breaking through on the power play: [Aho] said today to go out there and feel like our power play's clicking and we have a little confidence and swagger and I thought we did that. Just moving forward, we just have to keep playing well on the power play and it's going to be a huge part going forward in this series. Obviously we know that their power play is strong and we have to try and match that if not do better.
On if the feeling when the puck went in was celebration or relief: Celebration. I think I was pretty jacked up. Definitely celebration. Those ones are a lot of fun.
On staying out of the box: The whole series, we've been trying to limit our penalties knowing their power play is what it is. It wasn't addressed, but throughout the series, we want to try and play whistle to whistle and that's definitely been a focus of ours in this series and going forward.
On being the guy to deliver the win: I feel like going into every game you want to feel confident and feel like you can be the guy to do it. Obviously it doesn't happen every night or very often, but that's kind of our mindset going forward here. Just win the day. We're still win or go home so every game from here on out is going to be the same message in the locker room.
On the desperation the team showed to protect the lead at the end: Obviously those moments are huge especially when they have their top-six on the ice that can all make plays. The desperation of blocking shots, even right in front of the bench, Svechy was trying to get a puck out for like 15 seconds it seemed like and we're all trying to just give him some encouragement from the bench and that kind of desperation is awesome and you definitely can feed off of that.
On if they felt like they could play more free in this game: I don't think so. We kind of have our structure in how we play night in and night out. Obviously Roddy allows us to make plays when they're there and he encourages that, but we know the strength of our team is our forecheck and getting pucks behind their defensemen and being physical and creating a lot of traffic in front and shooting pucks. I don't think we felt we were more free but obviously we just double down on our system and how we play.
Sebastian Aho
On the first period: It was a good period. Obviously we played with a lot of aggression. We were two goals up after the first so we did what we needed to do. It was a strong start and we want to do that again whenever the next game is.
On being a consistent contributor: 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 and don't get me wrong, you always want to score and produce and score points and it feels awesome, but that feeling after you win a game is 10 times better.
On forcing New York into turnovers: You want to put pressure on their D and forecheck hard. We were able to do that in the first period and we got a lot of offense out of it. We were checking hard, got some loose pucks and we were able to cash in.
Jake Guentzel
On the increased physicality: That's just what we got to do. We got to make sure because we're fighting for our lives here. Whatever it takes. Every inch out there is going to be tough for us so we have to make it tough on them and we did that tonight.
On the belief in the team increasing with every goal they scored: The beliefs always been there. We've had the belief that we can do it and we've been pretty close throughout this series so to just be able to get this win is nice, but you have to move on. We're still fighting for our lives here.
On the tightness of the series: It's two good teams playing good hockey. There's not much ice out there and the goalies are playing really well. It gives us the confidence that we can get it done. We just have to keep this moving throughout each day and get recovery tomorrow and go back at it.
On Jordan Martinook: He plays 100% all the time and obviously he's a really fast skater so it's just a great play by him to take it to the net and draw that penalty. That was a big time play for us.
On bouncing back after giving up the lead: It is what it is. You know they're a good team and that they're going to push back too. We just had a belief that we could get it done and the crowd played a great job tonight in getting that done. It's a fun building to play in.
Frederik Andersen
On finally getting a win: I think we were just happy that we get to keep going. Get another day and get to go to New York and try to take one more. Another day. Good to be with the team.
On not starting Game 3: I thought [Pyotr Kochetkov] played great. Could have gone either way. Felt good. Obviously would have liked to play, but you just have to be a team player.
On getting used to the Rangers: I don't know. I think every team is going to make adjustments every game. We just try to approach it like that and try to get to our game and move on from there.
On bouncing back from the third goal against: I kind of got burned on that earlier in the game. In the first period, they kind of hit one off of me and into the post. On [the goal against] I was trying to get back and obviously it didn't work out that time. That's when your mental strength has to kick in and move on as quick as possible and try to make that next save.
On the guys picking him up afterwards: It's great. Obviously we were happy with the lead going into the third but a strange bounce to tie it up, but I think we were leaning on our leadership to stay calm and not really get too high or low in those moments and to keep pushing. If it had to go to overtime we were fine with that, but we tried to put our best foot forward and believe that it's going to go our way.
Stefan Noesen
On the tightness of the game: Every single game has been like that, right? We've battled back or they have and tonight we were on the good side of it.
On the sequence leading to his goal: Jarvy made a good change, an offensive zone change and I just came off and the puck squirted out to me. I don't really know how the play developed, I'd have to go back and watch it, but just opportunistic and try to make the most of it.
On what he was thinking when Skjei scored: About time. No, but we've been doing a lot of good things and really wanted to focus on just shooting the puck. This one was able to go in. Sometimes you don't get those bounces and I thought even our other power play we had some pretty good chances and some good looks. Just giving them a different look and we were seeing if we were able to get one and we were able to.
On giving up the lead: That's hockey. Bad bounces happen. He made a really good play there trying to bank it off of him and it went in that time. Sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it does. I got a good bounce for my goal and they had one there and it came down to special teams.