• Powered by Roundtable
    Ryan Henkel
    Ryan Henkel
    Oct 27, 2023, 03:42
    © James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports - Necas, Skjei, Brind'Amour on OT Win: "He was the star of the show tonight."

    The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Seattle Kraken 3-2 Thursday night at PNC Arena as Martin Necas' overtime heroics capped off a three-point performance.

    The Hurricanes overcame an early 2-0 hole, dominating the Kraken at even-strength for three periods before eventually finding the goals they needed.

    Game Recap: Necas Calls Game as Hurricanes Complete Comeback in Overtime

    After the game, head coach Rod Brind'Amour, forward Martin Necas and defenseman Brady Skjei spoke with the media.

    Here's what they had to say:


    Martin Necas

    On the win: "It's important to get going. Coming back, the first period I would say was not great, but then the next two periods I felt we were dominant. It's just how we have to play. We didn't give them much and created a lot in the o-zone. That's Carolina Hurricanes hockey, baby."

    On 3-on-3: "I like it. There's lots of space to make some plays, go one-on-one, odd-man rushes. Whenever I get the chance, I try to get one."

    On what was going right: "I feel like our whole line, [Bunting] and [Kotkaniemi], played a great game. All three contributed. Not only with all three of us on the ice, but also with the defense. It's a five-man game and that's how we have to play."

    On Brady Skjei's assist on the game-tying goal: "It was impressive. From standing still after a long shift to skate it up from there and give me a nice pass."

    On the win getting the team rolling: "It was a tough start. One game at home and then six away. It was important to get the win and just build some confidence."

    On setting up Kotkaniemi: "I knew that there was a couple of guys coming. It's a good thing it wound up on his stick."

    On his celebration in overtime: "Ben Shelton did it at the US Open and I'm a big tennis fan.

    On a new stick: "I got one with a little bit of a different curve and it's all white. It's a little bit of a different look and I kind of liked it so I tried it for warmups before the game. It felt good and I stuck with it. I look like a CHEL player. Like when you unlock a new level you get the white stick.


    Brady Skjei

    On what a win like that can do for the team: "It's huge. To get that good feeling in the locker room after a win, to hear the music playing is big. Obviously, wasn't the road trip we wanted to start the year, but to get back home in front of our fans and get a win and feel comfortable here, it's a big win for sure."

    On his play leading up to the game-tying goal: "I was in the D-zone and I was lucky to get a stick on the puck. Then I just took a couple of hard strides. Felt the guy on my back and just kept going. Heard Necas on the other side so I just tried to get it over and I think I got lucky with it getting through a few sticks and then Necas made a great play to KK. It was a big goal."

    On feeling like a matter of when in the third period: "We've always had that confidence in this room that we never get too rattled when we're down and I think that shows in the way we play. We know that we create enough chances when we play the way we know how to play. Gotta bear down when you get a chance, but we know that we're going to create enough chances by the end of the game."

    On the home crowd: "It was a long road trip to start the year and to get back in front of our fans was enormous."

    On rotating partners: "Pesce is a huge loss for us with the way he plays night in and night out. One of the best D in the league, I think. It's a big loss, but even Pesce would say, we have seven top-four defensemen. Whoever you play with, you know you're going to have a good partner."

    On the defensive improvements: "We have to start a little better. I think the way we started, getting down two early is tough. But we're limiting the chances for sure. There were a few games where we were giving up way too much. So we have to keep trying to give up less and less."

    On Necas in overtime: "It's special. I liked the celly too, I think that was a little tennis celly so that was nice to see. He was amazing tonight. The way he can skate and move the puck and make plays. He was the star of the show tonight."


    Rod Brind'Amour

    On the third period feeling like an eventuality: "We've seen a lot of games where it doesn't happen that way, but I think we're pretty happy with that game, especially the response and how we stuck with it. To your point, we definitively put on a push and had a lot of really good opportunities and finally cashed in on the one. I think we got the two points that we deserved, but I like how we stuck with what we were trying to do."

    On what started going right: "It was good and then not good. That inconsistency part is what I wasn't digging there. Where we're on it and then we decide to do something a little different. I get it, it's all good intentions. We're working hard and it's not a lack of effort, but it's trying to do a little too much at times. That doesn't really work. I thought the third period was a lot more how we want to do things."

    On the team going on a roll after a win like tonight: "You certainly hope that this can springboard us. Whether you win or not, it's just the way you have to play to win. Hopefully we can build on that. We also had a lot of great individual efforts tonight on goals that I want to point out. The tying goal, Brady Skjei... I don't think you realize how hard it is when you're tired, dead standing still and everyone else has got speed coming from behind and to be able to get up the ice and make that play, which obviously was the biggest play of the game. Kudos to him"

    On Necas in overtime: "That's his time, for sure. He loves that. So you try to get him out there every chance you can  because he's got that ability."

    On the freedom to create: "In the o-zone, it is the time to be creative. There's still obviously a lot of structure to what you should be thinking, but when you have room and space, that's when the guys got to take their chances. It's more when you have space. To me, it's about figuring out how to create the space and then once you get in space, now do what you do. He's obviously able to do it really well."

    On Frederik Andersen: "Their two goals... I mean one of them I thought it was going to be an icing for sure. Their guy knocks it out of the air... you're not going to see that very often. But rally, it was two great individual efforts on their parts. First goal was a heck of a move and then right off the post. Great shot. Playing pretty well, and we're down two. Big goal was to get back within one. I think that was huge going into the first intermission to be like, 'Okay, we're in striking range.' And then we had a couple shifts in the third, I think they had one where there was like three, 'boom, boom, boom,' and that's the game if they score there, so that's what good goaltending does for you. It keeps you in the game."

    On the officiating: "That game was officiated very, very well. They let the players play. There was no nick-nack penalties that we've seen all year. And people are like, 'Where's the penalty?' Let them play. And I thought it was an exciting game. Tons of offense. You don't need to get involved. I think you let the players play it out. We criticize them a lot, so when they do it right I think we should make that known because they were great tonight."

    On the defense: "I don't think we gave up a lot. Usually the indicator is what we're giving up. Because we're going to generate enough with the players we have and I thought for the most part, it was a real solid defensive game."

    On Dmitry Orlov: "I would have to say these last two games have been his best for sure."


    Recent Articles

    Justin Williams to Join Hurricanes' Hall of Fame

    Hurricanes Defenseman Undergoes Surgery for Lower-Body Injury

    NHL Edge: Carolina Hurricanes Deep Dive

    Image