The Carolina Hurricanes shutout the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 Sunday night in the final home game of the regular season.
Andrei Svechnikov scored 17 seconds into the game to snap a 10-game scoring drought and the Canes also had scores by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen.
Frederik Andersen stopped all 23 shots he faced in the win.
After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour along with Teravainen, Andersen and Svechnikov spoke with the media. Here's what they had to say:
Rod Brind'Amour
On Andrei Svechnikov: It's good for him, whether he missed a game or not, just to have an impact in the game like he did.
On Svechnikov's confidence: I thought he was good. He's played well, it's just that we wanted him to do what he did tonight. Have an impact on the game in a positive manner and he certainly did.
On selling out every home game this season: [The fan support] is always important. We have great fans and we know it. I appreciate it and the players appreciate it. We're trying to put on a good product for them. They definitely support us. It's a great building. We have a good advantage in here just in the way they support the team and with how loud they are. I'm sure they'll up it even more as we move along.
On Frederik Andersen: He made some saves obviously. We had a bunch of almosts that they didn't convert on, but he's just been real solid since he's come back. He steadies it. Just very calm back there and I'm sure that certainly helps.
On Teuvo Teravainen playing on a line with Evgeny Kuznetsov: He's a smart player and he knows that somebody has to shoot. So maybe that will work.
On Sebastian Aho: He's a 200-foot player and we use him in every situation and his value to us is immense. He's having a good year offensively, but it's the other things too that we count on.
On if it's helpful to have a few guys break scoring droughts before the postseason: Nah. Not really. I mean we still have four games to play and regardless of what happens, once the playoffs start, everything goes out the window.
On potential load management down the stretch: You're hitting on something that obviously we've talked about and we've done for a few years now. There's definitely a consideration. You want to make sure your guys are sharp going into the postseason and you also want to make sure you're healthy and there's all that to consider. So we'll have to have those conversations, but we're just one day at a time right now and we're still trying to win every game.
On having the newly signed prospects around to be part of a winning culture: It's important for us. We know that we're going to need that next wave and to get them in here and be around it and get comfortable with it is just a head start. Whether they play this year or have any impact this year, all of this matters. It's just good to see that we're getting some real high talent still coming. That's important.
Teuvo Teravainen
On getting a lead early: It was a big goal for us, big goal for Svech. These kinds of games, you have to be prepared. Just focus on the first shift because if you get a little bit loose, it's going to be a hard night. So we did a good job.
On the home crowd support: It's awesome. It helps us for sure. Especially around playoff time it's going to be so loud so we're going to get a lot of energy from them.
On getting back into the goal column: Yeah, I guess I score once in a while.
On playing on a line with Evgeny Kuznetsov: It's actually really, really fun. You have to be ready because he's going to look for you and he's going to make those nice little plays. It's fun for sure. I thought Roddy would never put us together because we would just pass to each other, but it's pretty fun.
On if there's a different mindset getting ready for a game like this: Yeah, you could say so, but at the same time, we're trying to do our job. We're trying to get ourselves going, play every night as if it's a big game. I think Roddy mentioned that before the game too, that we just have to play ourselves tonight and be good and so we did that.
On Frederik Andersen: He's been awesome ever since he came back. It's just fun to play in front of him and help him with what he's been going through this year. It's awesome.
Frederik Andersen
On the team's play in front of him: I think we try to prepare to just be ready to play our game. I think [it's] harder than it is to say, but it is our goal every night to try and come in and play the way that makes us successful. We try to do that every night and obviously we have a lot of good players in this room. It helps.
On Andrei Svechnikov breaking his goal drought: I don't know if we really care who contributes at the end of the day. I think everyone is happy to get the wins. But sitting out and then coming back into the lineup, just I'm sure that feels good. I know he's had some adversity over the last couple of years so happy to see him do well.
On playing with a lead early on: It doesn't matter. It's still the same mindset. Trying to make the next save. If you allow yourself to celebrate any goal that you get that early, I think you're going to be in trouble. I think it can just as easily go back the other way. I think the only time you can really relax is, I don't know, if you have a two-goal lead with five seconds, then you should be safe. But otherwise, you just continue to play your game and focus on your job.
On if he feels he's fully settled back into a routine: Yeah, I feel good. I talk a lot about how we approached this whole time. For me personally, I think it feels good to contribute with the team. The team has been playing really well and consistent, so I think that helps me. Just trying to do my part in helping the team win.
Andrei Svechnikov
On if he felt relief finally getting another goal: Yes and no. But obviously that was a big goal. Got some confidence from that goal and just have to keep going.
On his recent rough patch: It's been a few bad penalties and all that stuff. I try to forget it and move on and it was a good game today. Just have to keep going and move towards the playoffs.
On Frederik Andersen: He's been unbelievable, especially the way he played tonight. Zero goals, that's pretty impressive. It's good to see him healthy, that's for sure. He's been huge for us for sure.
On the fan support this season: Huge. When I got injured, at that time, I felt how much Raleigh loves hockey. It's pretty impressive, especially this season every game sold out. They've been huge for us. We definitely need their support in the playoffs.
On playing on Jordan Staal's line: I don't care about the role. I have my role and I know what to do. I love playing with [Staal]. He's getting those pucks and trying to battle put there in the corners and all that stuff. You kind of just try to get open in the corners or in the slot and he's always going to pass it to you. That's my role. To shoot it and put it in the net.