Apr 22, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) blocks the shot by New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce (22) during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/d2b3b798-e9d5-436a-aa9d-c5f25f487c48.jpeg] Apr 22, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) blocks the shot by New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce (22) during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images) The Carolina Hurricanes stormed back after a slow start to take a 2-0 series lead over the New Jersey Devils thanks to a 3-1 victory Tuesday night at Lenovo Center. The Canes found themselves in an early 1-0 hold, but a furious second period effort, with goals from Shayne Gostisbehere and Jordan Martinook, led the team to victory. After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour, along with Gostisbehere, Jaccob Slavin, Martinook and Frederik Andersen spoke with the media. Here's what they had to say: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rod Brind'Amour On Frederik Andersen's returning from injuries again this season: It's been a tough one. Any athlete that has a tough time with health or real issues... he probably had a lot of doubt, but it's obviously great to see him the way he's bounced back and played so far. On Jordan Martinook: I can't think of enough good things to say about that game in particular, which might have been his most impactful game as a Hurricane. He's had a bunch, especially in big moments. Obviously the goal was huge, but if you watched, there were tons of blocked shots, the play even at the end of the game. A special play there to get the empty netter. He was all over this game for us. On Martinook's history against New Jersey: I don't know. It might just be coincidence, but it's not a coincidence that that type of player has success in the playoffs. On special teams: It's been the difference. Obviously that was a huge turning point in the game. I think it always seems to come down to that one way or another. Certainly if it's really lopsided, then it's for sure, but tonight obviously the game was so tight that that was the turning point. It's something we preach all the time, talk about it a lot. You have to win that special teams battle because it is so important. On what makes Frederik Andersen special: You see his demeanor. Whether he has a great game or a game which he'd like to have back, it's kind of... you'd never know. It's just very, very calm and I think just the way he plays in net is very calming too. In these moments, especially, when it's very chaotic, stressful, it doesn't really feel like it with him in net. That's kind of what you get when you watch him play. On what makes his penalty kill so able to transition into offense: Every team is looking to attack now a'days and we have, maybe not so much Jordo and Jordo looking to go, but they certainly have the green light. I think Seabass and Jarvy are a little different kinds of players there, but I think especially like teams are now, some have five forwards on the power play. When you're on the power play, nobody is really thinking defense. They're thinking go, so there is opportunities to attack and when you have them, you have to go for it. On Brett Pesce: I don't smirk anymore, [when he makes a save]. I said it before the series, he's a very special player and that's why everybody wanted him and he'll always be special to me because I saw that night in and night out for a long time and I watched him grow as a player into what he is now which is one of the top defenders in the league. Again, all the friendly stuff is after the series is over, but he's a great player. On sticking with Andersen: We brought him in here to be that guy and we know we have confidence in [Pyotr Kochetkov] too as he's played really well in stretches too, so we know what he's capable of. It's early in the playoffs here. Are we going to keep doing this? We'll see how he feels and gauge everything. I think we know that we have to watch it with him because he hasn't had a bunch of workload, but also, that's a bonus too. That he hasn't played that much this year. He's maybe the freshest guy out there. On Jaccob Slavin: When you talk about the penalty kill, he's the number one soldier back there, I think. Along with Jordo too. Jordan Staal does the same kind of heavy lifting, if you will, and those guys were great again tonight. I don't know if we can talk anymore about Jaccob and the value he has and what he means to this group, but he's obviously special. On the Jesperi Kotkaniemi line: At this time of the year, the moral victories don't really count for much, but you have to have balance in your group. We can't just rely on Fishy's line to score or whatever. We do need contributions up and down the lineup if we're going to have success. It's good to see those guys creating offense, but we need to get them to put one in here. On the Staal line's defensive assignment: You're going against one of their best players for sure depending on how they have their lines. It's a tough matchup, and Jordo gets that every night in some form or fashion. That's the value to us for that kind of player that can alleviate. When we talk about the other lines that don't have to do that, that's where they need to pick up the slack. We still have to find that, but that's how it's drawn up. On shot blocking: Both teams are doing it and you see that. We had the power play at the end and I was watching them just fly in front of pucks. Everyone is just selling out. That's what you have to do at this time of year. We did that. We had a ton of those. You watch it in every game, that's what everybody's doing now. It's par for the course. On the tough start: They were on their game and we weren't. We were just... I don't know what. We obviously talked about trying to get ourselves ready, but I didn't think we were sharp at the start and it was obvious. A couple of turnovers, a couple of plays that we don't normally make. Just throwing it them, which you can't give teams those kinds of opportunities. They cashed in early and I think we were fortunate to get out of the first period only one down. Then the guys kind of picked it up. But I didn't love the start. On if a hot goalie can make players doubt themselves: I don't know. I think we probably read into that too much. I think you're always, as a player, worried about if you're getting opportunities because you know a goalie can't stop everything. It's more when you look down at the scoresheet and you've got 0 shots on net or even 0 shot attempts or something, then you're like, 'Wait a minute, that's not a good game.' That's kind of how I've always looked at it. On hitting the road: It definitely flips. It goes from obviously the crowd favoring you and then not. There's a different feel to that too where you can silence a crowd. You're trying to do that and if you can get your game going, all of a sudden, that buzz is off. You also know that if it goes the other way, you're in one. That's kind of the challenge. It's fun. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shayne Gostisbehere On his game: It felt great. Obviously we didn't have our best first and that was evident, but it's nice just to find the mix again and show who the better team is. It's great when everything is clicking, obviously. Obviously we want to start games a little better. On Frederik Andersen: He's superb. I mean, there's no other word for it. It's pretty comfortable when you know you have a third line of defense back there. That penalty kill at the end, and the penalty kill has been doing a good job for us all year, but Freddie standing tall there too with three, four, five saves. He obviously got us the W. On the defensive success: I think just keeping it simple and playing our game. We play a very simplified game and we know that if we put the stress on them, we're probably going to come out on top. If we play that to a tee, we'll be good. On his goal: I don't really get too many shifts with that first line and obviously they're highly skilled and just playing off of them. Every time I had the puck, there was a guy open, so I just passed it to them. Blaker made a great play and luckily the puck squirted back out to me and I finished it. On the team getting better as the game went on: You take your licks. Obviously we didn't our best in the first period and I think for us, when we play a simplified game, everyone knows and everyone's on the same page, it shows. That's where our systems works. On going back to the locker room temporarily during the game: I was totally fine. I was just a little gimpy out on the ice. No big deal. Everyone's going to sacrifice their body out there. Jarvy and Marty, they made some key blocks tonight, everyone. Then like I said, we had that third line of defense in Freddie back there. If we can block for him... On Jordan Martinook: Our PK as a whole, they're number one for a reason. Marty's a heart and soul guy, everyone knows that. He does a lot out on the ice and you guys don't see the behind the scenes stuff that he does. He wears a letter for a reason. He's a great leader for us and shows. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaccob Slavin On the turning point in the game: We didn't have a great start, but we're resilient. You had Freddie slamming the door back there. He made so many big saves tonight. That's the reason we won the game right there and then some individual efforts. Martinook and obviously Ghost's goal was huge too. Special teams is also going to be a big part of any playoff series and the kill got the job done tonight. Just have to keep rolling. On the team getting better as the game went along: You're going to have lapses in the game, but it's all about how you respond. It speaks to our identity here in the locker room. Playing a competitive game and trying to do it for 60 minutes. You know guys are going to work hard, but just had to bear down and got the job done. A couple huge plays. On Jordan Martinook: He's a great guy and he works extremely hard. Nights like tonight, you're just happy for him. It's huge for him. Hopefully he can keep playing like that as he's a huge part of our team. On Frederik Andersen: He's always been a brick wall back there and for him, I'm sure it's nice to have that consistency of just knowing he's the guy right now. He played great for us tonight and was the reason we won the game. On sustaining against the Devils' late push: It was a big push by them, but we couldn't get away from what made us successful all year and what makes us, as a team, successful. Just had to double down and we did. Started getting pucks in, establishing the forecheck a little better. We stuck with it. Jordan Martinook On why he has so much postseason success against the Devils: I just love the playoffs. I feel like it brings the best out of me. I don't know. I just love the emotion, the energy, the games. It's the funnest time of the year for a reason. I couldn't tell you, but it's a lot of fun out there. On the team building a game: The first seven minutes, it was not how we needed to be. But then after that, I felt like we started building a game. You have to give it to Freddie. He made some unbelievable saves, especially in the third period where they were pushing. There were three I can think of just off of the top of my head where you just have to tip your cap to him because he was unbelievable tonight. If you don't have those saves then obviously it's a different game. I felt like we tightened up, but obviously whenever we had a lull or lapse, he was there to shut the door. On Logan Stankoven: I think that's just the style of play he has. He's got a high motor, he's on it every shift. It's obviously the way he knows he has to be successful in this league. He plays hard every shift. I think coming over here and being part of our team, he's fit in seamlessly and been a big part of what we're trying to do. He's played really well, for sure. On if he's aware of just how successful he's been against the Devils: Well obviously, if you're looking back, two years ago, I knew that that one was pretty cool. They were talking about it I feel like every chance they could. Just coming into this year, you're just doing anything you can to help your team win. If that's scoring or blocking shots or getting pucks out, it's just all the little things that you try to do to win at this time of year. Obviously I'm thrilled that I can chip in offensively and help this team win that way, but if I had three or four blocked shots and can help the team that way, I'm going to do anything I can to help this team win and keep this thing going. On what makes the team's penalty kill so successful: I think it starts with our PK coach Gleas. He cares about it just as much as everybody else. It feels like he's in the fight with you and when your coach is like that, you want to play as hard as you can for that. I think we have partners out there, me and Jordo and Fishy and Jarvy, but you try to be a cohesive unit and just outwork the power play. I think a good penalty kill is always going to outwork the power play. I think when you know that you're going over the boards to outwork that team or power play, then usually good things happen. You have to sell out and do things that maybe are uncomfortable, but you know you're doing it for the team and that's the biggest part. On shot blocking: Anything that you can do. I don't want the puck to get to him [points at Andersen]. If I can block it and try to get it out, that's what I'm going to do. That goes for everybody out there. There's a lot of plays out there where you're going to have to have desperation and that you're doing everything to keep the puck out. Then obviously you have an unbelievable goalie back there to save you when you don't do the right thing. On knowing when the opportunity is there to jump on the PK: I think obviously there's times where you see the play developing. I think the one tonight, it was a scrum off of the draw and then they kind of got on the wrong side of it. Orly came out with it and I could see we were on the good side of it and then I knew I could just take off. There's lots of plays where you can almost cheat it, but you also know you're on the penalty kill. You have to be a little more patient in that aspect, but there's still times where you can see it developing and that's the time to go. On Andersen's calming presence: I think that's just Freddie on a day-to-day basis. Obviously in the net he's calm and collected. It seems like the plays going 100 miles per hour and he's just back there doing his thing. You see the guys in front of him jumping around, trying to do everything and he's just sitting back there. Obviously we know he's competing as hard as he can, but his demeanor is calm and it definitely helps us out there too. When you look back there and he's just doing its thing, it's fun to play in front of him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederik Andersen On what he's gone through the past few seasons: I try not to think too much about it and try to just enjoy the moment and be ready when called upon. Just happy to play. It was a fun experience out there. On if he thinks about building a series: I try not to. That's the biggest thing for a goalie, and any of the players, to focus on what's in front of you and the next shift or the next chance you get or whatever it is. I just try to be in the moment and do my best and trust that your abilities are good enough to have success. On playing behind the Canes' team defense: It's just fun to play. This team is just inspiring. That's the biggest description I can use. You really see how hard everyone plays for each other and it comes up especially in moments like the penalty kill. Everyone is out there just to get through the next play, whether it's blocking a shot or going down the ice and then scoring. It's really fun just to help each other out. Everyone's ready to step up. On the final saves on Timo Meier: I don't really have a good recollection of that one. There's obviously a lot of plays and they're trying to get it to the net. Lots of bodies in front. You're just trying to work to get some kind of eye on it and react to it. Once it gets down there, you're kind of at the mercy of guys like Marty and the D to take away lanes and block those shots that are tough to see. They did a great job in front of me and obviously it's huge when you get it out of the zone and ice it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/carolina-hurricanes-2025-stanley-cup-playoffs-hub] for all postseason stories! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwmeDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to never miss a story.
