World Juniors Odds The Carolina Hurricanes had a big bounce back win over the New Jersey Devils Saturday night, defeating them 5-2 Saturday night. Dmitry Orlov, Sebastian Aho, Jackson Blake and Jack Roslovic all scored for Carolina while Dustin Tokarski made 21 saves in net. After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour along with Orlov, Sean Walker and Blake spoke with the media. Here's what they had to say: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rod Brind'Amour On if a game like this can pull a team together even more: Yeah. I think just in general with the type of game and the way it was going. Playing really well and not getting any results is kind of the way it's been going for us. I thought not changing our game, that was key. Even though we gave them kind of a weird one in the neutral zone for a breakaway and then kind of a weird play off of the faceoff. So just a couple things that really just didn't go our way, but I just liked the way we just kept playing our game and kind of got rewarded. On his thoughts on the Erik Haula hit on Dmitry Orlov: It's a weird one because I get the benefit of seeing it five times right away. They have to watch it live. The explanation was that it was a clean hit according to them and they were lucky they made it even. But it's live and that's the problem with our sport. How many times have I told you that we need to have a quick review of these penalties, all of them, and then you can get them right. These guys are so good at what they do, it would take them two seconds. That was a tough one when a guy gets injured like that. It happens. On Sean Walker: I'm glad you brought him up. He doesn't get talked about too much here. He's been very consistent with his game. He's just been going about his business. He's kind of been, I think, not rewarded for his play. I mean getting goals and points and whatever. He's been around it and just been real, I think, solid all year. On Jackson Blake: He was impactful every time he was out there. I thought he was one of the better players on the ice, really. Didn't get him out there probably as much as I would like, just with the way the game was going, but his line in general was really good and he had some good opportunities and I was glad to get this one. On becoming the fastest head coach in NHL history to 300 wins: I've had good teams, I guess. It's the guys. Coaching is interesting. You get way too much credit when your team wins and you just get abused when it doesn't and it's like, 'Wait a minute...' It's not quite how it really works out. It's the group that you have. I've been blessed and we've talked about it a lot. I've got a real good group. Win or lose, you can pretty much count the times on your hand when it wasn't a solid effort. They give you what they can every night and that's something that I take the most pride in. On Ty Smith: That's a big jump when he hasn't played a game with us all year. Had him kind of bouncing around with the roster stuff. But he's got a great attitude. I think that's part of why guys really root for him because he's been really positive around here and I'm not glad that we had to use him because obviously we have an injury and Ghost is a big part of what we're doing, but he stepped in really well. On Shayne Gostisbehere's status: I think he's getting looked at tomorrow. So I'm hopeful that it's noting too serious, but obviously he's out for now. On the late-period, tying goal: That was huge because we had been playing really well and deserved to at least be even if not ahead and finally got that one to break the ice a little bit I think and at least allowed us to take a breather. Well then they got one right away again in the third, but at least we were going into the locker room feeling good about the game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dmitry Orlov On his goal: Walks made a nice pass and in those moments, you have to shoot. I thought overall, our game today was much better and it's good that we're finding ways to win. It was not an easy month and not how we want to play, but it's important in the tough moments to find the way we have to play. We did it today and it's an important two points. On Jackson Blake's go-ahead goal: It was huge. A huge goal from the second power play unit. They didn't have a lot of looks but today they scored a big goal. We need it from everyone, every person and it was great to have that today. On if a game like this can pull a team together: 100%. You get close in these games where you have to get physical. In the standings, our division, everybody is tight. We need to be hungry, angry and you want to get that win every time. On if the team made it a goal to be more physical tonight: Yeah. Every game you play, every time you get closer to the playoffs, you have to play rough hockey. Where there's a lot of physical stuff coming up in important parts. Today was a good example for us. On if Erik Haula made direct contact with his head: Yes, he did. On going after him: I think it was a dirty hit and I wasn't happy with that. I didn't think it was two minutes, I thought it should have been more than that. But we got even and I got two minutes too, but I didn't hit him. I just grabbed him and told a couple of words. On the Timo Meier hit: You play hard, but you don't want to hurt anybody. Everybody has families. You have to control your emotion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sean Walker On if this kind of game can pull a team together even more: Yeah, for sure. Obviously you see everybody stepping up for each other out there. You don't want to see anything bad happen to anybody, but sometimes those situations get everybody fired up and you step up for your teammates. It was a great team effort. The whole night from start to finish. It was a great game. On if he feels he's getting more and more comfortable in Carolina: Yeah. I think I just have been skating a little bit more, using my legs and just creating more opportunities for myself. I think I just have to continue with that and it should be a successful second half of the year. On playing alongside Ty Smith: It was great. I love Smitty and we've practiced a bunch throughout the year when he's been around and stuff. But he's great. Stepped in and was pretty seamless. He's kind of that skilled defenseman as well and just communicated well the whole night and made great plays. I think we played a pretty good game and were happy with it. On the game devolving: I think we were just kind of dominating most of the night and they were just trying to get things going by being a little more physical and it ended up being a dirty hit. I think, like I said, from start to finish, I think we just played a solid game, frustrated them for most of the night and played good. On Dustin Tokarski: He's awesome. He's a little unorthodox and his equipment... he's got new pads now so hopefully we'll get those ones broken in for him, but he's great. He's solid in there and we're really comfortable and confident with him back there. He's been great to have around, a great personality. It's been fun. On setting up the Orlov one-timer goal: In my head as I was passing it, I was envisioning when he did it against Washington and I was like, 'Oh, it's going in.' It was great. He's obviously a great player and I was happy to be the one to pass him the puck. On the mindset in the third period after that early goal against: I think the message was just to stick with it. I think, again, the whole night we played really good even when they scored their first goal. It was just the way it was going, but I think overall we were playing just a really solid game and everybody was just buying into the game plan and again, you don't want those to go in obviously early in the period, but we just stuck with it, stuck to the game plan and got our own goals. On if Orlov is the last guy you want to mess with: That was pretty interesting. I hadn't seen that much, but it was good though. That's kind of the guys we have on this team. No one's going to let anybody take liberties on them and everyone is going to step up for themselves. That's just kind of how it goes sometimes, I guess. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jackson Blake On the third period: I think, obviously, they got that one and then we were playing the right way and the way Rod wants us to play and I think we just stuck with it and that's the way we have to play and come every night. I even thought last night was good, we just didn't get the result. If we can play like that the rest of the year, we'll be a scary team. On the physicality: I think obviously when you're doing, especially to the defensemen — obviously I'm not the biggest guy but I try once in a while too. If we can even just give them a bump, it makes them not want to go back there and get the puck. I think obviously tonight we were more physical and made it hard on them. On the game having a playoff atmosphere: That was one of the crazier games I've been a part of so far this year. That situation with Orly, I've never seen that before. That was unbelievable. But yeah, the crowd was absolutely buzzing. It was so loud and the bench was shaking. I think obviously the closest I've been. Last year, I kind of got to see how electric it gets in here and that series against the Islanders the one game where everyone was getting kicked out, it kind of felt like that. On his go-ahead goal: Anytime you can provide something for your team, it's very exciting. Obviously I was super pumped up to see that one go in and it was big for us. Our power play, our motto has been to just get it to the net and then hopefully something will go in. Fortunately tonight, it did. On his mindset in battling for net-front positioning: I'm not the biggest guy, but you just have to compete. Tenacity and stuff. Just trying to provide havoc on the other team. Yeah, you're going to get cross checked and all those things, but you never know. Like tonight, fortunately the tip went in. On if he feels like he got a monkey off his back: Yeah, oh my god. For sure. I've been waiting a while and I wasn't even counting the games. I was just like, 'Alright let's just put one in.' Sometimes it takes a tip like that or a lucky bounce, but it feels amazing and feels great to get that win. We're all pretty pumped off of this one. On going through this recent goal drought: Obviously in college and stuff, I don't think I ever went this long, but it's different there. When you're going six games or five or four, you just have to give it that extra bit. You have to find a way to give that extra two percent every shift and that was kind of my mindset. I wasn't really hanging my head or anything. I knew it was going to come it was just a matter of when it was going to come. Just giving that extra effort I think is what helped. On if the Christmas break was good for him: I went home. The plane rides probably didn't help the rest, but obviously I'm a younger guy and I love going home. I mean, the only time I haven't gone home for Christmas is for the World Junior Tournament. It's always good. We have a good little tradition at home with me and my family so even if it's just for those two and a half days, it's special and it was big for not only me, but our group to kind of get that reset. We were struggling a little bit to win and I think that helped out. On if the team did anything for Brind'Amour's 300th win: Jordo gave him a puck. That's a lot of wins and goes to show that he's one of the best coaches in the league, for sure. I love playing for him.
