The Carolina Hurricanes won their sixth game in a row, defeating the Washington Capitals 4-2 Tuesday night at Lenovo Center.
Andrei Svechnikov led the way with his two goal, three point night, while Pyotr Kochetkov made 20 saves in the win.
After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour, along with Svechnikov, Jackson Blake and Mark Jankowski spoke with the media. Here's what they had to say:
On what turned the game: I give the guys credit. We were sluggish there to start and Washington was good, obviously. I thought Kooch kept us in it. That was a huge play there at 5v3. Close to a goal and able to survive that whole incident, which don't know how it should even be like that, but that's another discussion. Then I just thought after the intermission, we regrouped and the guys came out with a real good game after that.
On Mark Jankowski stepping up in Jordan Staal's absence: You talk about making the most of your opportunity. I feel like this guy just from Day 1, he said, "Okay. It's a new team," and kind of reinvented himself a little bit. He's done nothing but play well. It's nice to see guys who actually get that chance take advantage of it and we need it obviously with who we've got out of the lineup.
On Taylor Hall's status: Don't have [an update] yet, but that doesn't look good either. This is what happens in this league. You have to deal with it. That's the only thing you can do. Everyone goes through it, it's just tough when it kind of piles on.
On Andrei Svechnikov: He's been great. This is kind of the player that we all know he is capable of and we're just seeing it now for a long stretch to start the year. We've needed it, especially with the guys we have out. It's impressive.
On the flip from last time they played Washington: We have a high standard, so we expect to win every night and so when you don't, you're like "Eh." I wasn't disappointed. Those two teams we played at the start of the season are two of the better teams in the league and we were fine. We just didn't get the bounces. Tonight, we got a couple. I give the guys a lot of credit. They've been prepared and they know what it takes, especially with what's going on right now with all the guys out. We're finding ways to win and that's what you have to do.
On his confidence in the group: We're at a point where we're pretty confident in what works. We understand it. We also know when we down what works too. We can get back with our game. It's just a matter of getting to it, but it's not east. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. It's hard, but our guys dug in tonight and we got big plays at right times from guys and that's also what you need.
On the little detail plays: That's what it's all about. I can, off the top of my head without even going through the game, count like five of those. Slavo on a 2-on-1, 3-on-1 breaks up a play, Will when two D fall right near the end of the period and backchecks to break up the breakaway. There's all these little things that creep in that could have been that we've been finding ways to not let it happen. That's just kind of from the effort these guys have been giving.
On Pyotr Kochetkov: There's another guy that we have a lot of high hopes for. Injuries and things have kind of hampered that a little, but the talent is there and we're certainly seeing it these last few games. That's the most important position. If we can get that play out of him, we'll be in good shape.
On Kochetkov going for the empty netter: We all [wanted him to go for it]. It's one of those special things. We saw one the other night. They don't happen very often. He has the ability to do it and it was the right time. You're up by a couple, so green light. It's all good.
On the game: It's kind of been hard. We kind of lost Hallsy there and just playing shorthanded forwards. It's kind of hard, but we kind of just stuck with our game. Even though they're a really good team, we just stuck with our game and that's what happens.
On his power play goal: [Nikolaj Ehlers] made a nice play and I just kind of had to finish it.
On what changed halfway through the game: To be honest, it wasn't a great start, but we kind of flipped over and we kind of stuck with our game, went on the forecheck a little more, went after those pucks and just spent more time in their zone.
On how badly he wanted the hat trick: I wanted it to be honest, but it's okay. I'm happy Janky scored. Let's keep that streak going.
On what's been going right on the winning streak: Just sticking with our game. We have the best coaching staff in the world and we just need to do what they tell us and that's what's going to happen.
On Pyotr Kochetkov: Kooch, first period, big save there at the end. If they had scored that one it would have gone a different way, but just big saves all over the ice. He's just going to keep doing that.
On his unsportsmanlike penalty: He came to me and I just said to him, "Why didn't you call that?" It wasn't anything rude, but I kind of banged my stick, and that's why he called it, I guess. It's okay. It happens sometimes.
On the key to his goal scoring as of late: Good question, I gotta think about it. No key. Just playing my game, enjoying the game. Obviously Fishy, Will have been unbelievable. Grinding away every shift and playing in their zone every shift. Just so much fun and hopefully it's going to be that way. It's fun to play this way.
On if it was nice to score against Alex Ovechkin in his final visit to Lenovo Center: Maybe. Maybe a little extra. No, I don't want to say that. Always nice to play Ovie. Just what a legend. Especially for me as a Russian guy to play against him. It's a special moment every time we end up on the ice together. It's always fun.
On the upcoming road trip: We know we have a couple days off. Just relax and get back. We got six in a row, so let's make it whatever, 10, 15. That'd be awesome.
On powering through despite crucial injuries: It sucks to see injuries, no matter who it is but you kind of have to have that next-man-up mentality a little bit, and [Jordan Staal and Taylor Hall] are two key players for our team. But we can't use it as an excuse or anything. We've got to go out there and still compete and try to win.
On Eric Robinson moving up and down the lineup: He can play it all for sure. He's got an absolute motor on himself. So definitely a fun guy to play with. And like you said, he can play on all four [lines].
On what's been going right for him: I don't know. It feels like these last couple games, the boys have been clicking and it feels like how we played in the playoffs again a little bit. I think tonight as a group wasn't our best in the first period, and then just that response we had. For me personally, I'm just trying to figure out kind of what I did last year in the playoffs and try to build on that the start of this season and moving forward.
On his matching penalties with Ryan Leonard: He kind of gave me a little whack, kind of harmless. So I just gave him a little shove back. It didn't really mean anything, just kind of out of frustration a little bit there. Not frustrated because we scored, but he got me in a good spot with the whack. But it's all good.
On having goals in five straight and what's been going right for that to happen: Just the whole team's kind of playing real good hockey right now. So everyone's reaping the benefits. Luckily, I've gotten a few that have gone past the goalie, and obviously Svech made a huge play there, just holding off two guys with one arm and sliding it over for an easy empty net.
On taking on some of Jordan Staal's responsibilities: Conn Smythe shoes to fill. We fill that by committee. Not one guy is going to do what Jordo can do, and obviously, it's a big loss for us on and off the ice. So wish him all the best. But everyone, as a committee, can step up.
On embracing the opportunity: I have confidence and belief in my game and whatever the coach asks me to to help the team win, I feel like I can provide.
On taking over the game after a slow start: We just had to get to our game. You're right. It was a slow start. We didn't really start on time there. But once we got to our game, we're getting pucks behind them, we're spending more time in the O-zone, less in the D-zone. So once we were able to get to our game, it felt like we turned it a little bit.
On losing Taylor Hall to injury and the difficulty in playing a man down: Yeah, it's hard. You're playing with different linemates throughout the rest of that game, but we're used to that. That unfortunately happens sometimes in the game — things get lost and you kind of get shuffled around and stuff. But that's another big loss. Hopefully he's going to be okay. But yeah, everyone just kind of stepped up again.
On what's clicking during the six-game winning streak: We have all four line rolling, both goalies, everyone's playing well right now. So that's when we're at our best, I feel like, when we can roll four lines for 60 minutes and just kind of smother them and never take our foot off the gas. So I feel like we're doing that really well right now.
On being trusted by the coaching staff: It means a lot. It's something that I pride myself in and every day just trying to get a little bit better. Whether it's practice, whether it's a game, just trying to trying to improve my game however I can and trying to prove to Rod and the coaching staff that they can trust me in any situation out there.
On if injuries are good to shake up the lineup: You never want to see guys go down, so that's that's the first thing. That's unfortunate. Hopefully, those guys are going to be okay. It's a long season, 84 games this year, and there's going to be adversity, whether it's at the beginning of the year, middle of the year, end of the year. So you've got to roll with the punches and just keep moving forward.
On his goal-scoring streak: What a play by Svech there. Pretty wide open net once he held off the two guys and just slid it over to me for the open net. So a lot of these goals, my linemates are making great plays, and I've just got the job to put it in.
On if Svechnikov said anything to him about not getting a hat trick: No, he didn't and I was hoping he was going to be able to just fend them off and put it in himself, but like I said, he made a great play and slid it over.
On the mentality heading on a six-game road trip: We've got to keep playing the same game. Keep playing our game. I feel like these early road trips early in the season are great for our group to bond and just kind of get a little bit closer together. It's a lot of the same guys that we had last year and whatnot, but those road trips are great for eating out on the road and just bonding and getting to our game. We have to keep our foot on the gas on the road here.
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