Hurricanes’ Morning Presser – Gostisbehere, Andersen, & Brind’Amour Comments After Game 2 – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

The morning after Game 2 on Friday, June 5, felt lighter compared to the Carolina Hurricanes’ loss following Game 1 on Wednesday (June 3). The Hurricanes won 4-3 in overtime, thanks to Seth Jarvis’ power-play goal, evening up the series at one game apiece. Now it’s about reflecting on Game 2, learning and watching video while traveling to Las Vegas, and preparing for Game 3 on Saturday night (June 6). What did head coach Rod Brind’Amour and some of his players say hours after their emotional Game 2 win?

Shayne Gostisbehere

Shayne Gostisbehere, after the Game 1 loss, mentioned “that’s why there are seven of these things [games]. We did a lot of good things tonight. They obviously did some great things, too. It was a back-and-forth game for sure. So it’s good to be out there and see how the series goes. It’s going to be a tough one for sure.”

Following their Game 2 win on Thursday night, Gostisbehere, when asked about sticking to the system and drawing an assist on the game-winning goal, said, “Game 1 is definitely a feeling-out process for both teams. You got to get a feel for the tendencies of each team and whatnot. You saw in Game 2 how it was a little tighter. Just waiting for that one mistake or that one turnover and pounce on it. There was not a lot out there. Just sticking with it, just getting those results. It’s really uplifting in the sense that you got to believe and just keep going.”

Jarvis’ game-winning overtime goal will give the Hurricanes an extra boost as they look to take a 2-1 series lead on Saturday night in Las Vegas. They lost one at home in Game 1 and will be seeking to return the favor in the desert. It’s about replicating what they did right toward the end of the game and carrying it out for 60 minutes of hockey.

Frederik Andersen

Despite the two Brett Howden goals through the first 40 minutes of Game 2, Frederik Andersen played pretty decently. He made some crucial saves late in the game, especially three straight 10-bell saves on Ivan Barbashev.

Andersen has a 13-2 record with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage through 15 starts this postseason. While Game 1 did not go quite his way, Andersen showed in Game 2 why the Hurricanes have been sticking with him in these playoffs. Andersen’s calm demeanor has helped the team know that they can rely on him in big moments and help them focus on their game.

When asked about the Barbashev saves en route to his first Stanley Cup Final win, he stated “the game happens quick; turnovers happen, was able to get a piece of it. I had to scramble a little bit to get around and get to the bottom of the net to cover the puck. Happy to have make the save there and able to come up and score. Had to go to overtime to win.”

While he has given up eight goals in two games, Andersen has made massive saves to keep the Hurricanes in Games 1 and 2. The hope is for him to keep rolling on Saturday night.

Rod Brind’Amour

Brind’Amour has always preached about sticking to the system, and the Hurricanes did that in Game 2, even when down 2-0 with less than 10 minutes left in the game. His group will be looking to ride that into Game 3 as they’re looking to take a 2-1 series lead. While the head coach doesn’t believe in momentum going from game to game, there’s no denying the confidence within this group to carry that win in Game 2 and replicate that for Game 3.

When asked about the confidence in the team after soaking it all in and watching video today prior to hitting the road, he stated “obviously, there’s a lot more good vibes today than it could have been. But I think we understand how we have to play to give us a chance. I thought we got to that to start the game, and at the end of the game. Now it would be great if we could do that through the whole 60 minutes. It’s probably not going to be that way. They’re a very good team. I think that we’re confident. I mean, we should be; we played two good games. Now we’re starting over. That’s the way I look at it.”

The Hurricanes will be looking to keep that confidence going in Game 3. If the Hurricanes can manage to play their game for a whole 60 minutes and not give the Golden Knights a chance, they have a legitimate shot to take a 2-1 series lead into Game 4. It’s about making adjustments and responding to the pressure the Golden Knights will bring at home on Saturday night.