The Carolina Hurricanes, entering Saturday, May 10, are looking to get back out front in their Round 2 matchup against the Washington Capitals. After splitting the first two games in Washington, D.C., they are back in familiar confines at the Lenovo Center for Game 3 in front of the Loudest House in the NHL. Before they take on the Capitals to see who will take a 2-1 series lead, head coach Rod Brind’Amour & players met with the media. What did Brind’Amour and the players say to The Hockey Writers (THW) before their important matchup at home?
Andrei Svechnikov
Andrei Svechnikov comes into Game 3 second on the team in points (six) and leads in goals (five). He’s been playing mostly with Sebastian Aho and Jackson Blake so far in the playoffs. He’s already scored one hat trick this postseason, back in Round 1 versus the New Jersey Devils. He’s been a key piece so far in the 2025 Playoffs and looks to continue that impact for the Hurricanes. When THW asked about the importance of winning on the road and scoring on the power play, does that set them up better for Game 3 at home? Svechnikov stated, “It’s huge, you know, it’s gonna be a different energy for us at home. The best fans in the world, they’re going to be cheering for us, they’re gonna be loud. We just gotta take those moments from the power play, score a goal, move that into this game, and try to stay focused. Hopefully, a couple power power-play goals get going tonight.”
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The Hurricanes have won two games on the road so far in the playoffs; that is always a key thing to do if you want to finish a series sooner rather than later. Furthermore, the Hurricanes are ranked fifth in the playoffs on the power play with a 28% scoring rate on the man advantage. They’ve scored seven times on 25 chances in seven playoff games. For a team that only had three total from January to mid-April, that’s a significant boost for the Hurricanes. If they are looking to take both games at home before heading back to Washington, the power play will need to be clutch again.
When asked bout his chemistry with Aho and Blake during the postseason, “I started playing with those guys in the playoffs, it’s a little hard when you start playing with them. I feel like we understand each other, working for each other, and that’s kind of all about it when you work for each other. Then you kind of have that chemistry, and those second-effort chances are going to help you a lot.”
It says a ton when you take a look at Svechnikov, Aho, and Blake start playing together fully at the beginning of the playoffs and be impactful as they have been. Aho leads the team in points, Svechnikov leads the team in goals, and Blake, in his first postseason as a rookie, has one goal and four points. Brind’Amour did say that he is looking for more goals from that line, but overall has liked the way they have been playing. As a group, they’ve hit the post a lot, but those will eventually go in, and fans can see this line break out soon for the Hurricanes.
Seth Jarvis
In his fourth postseason with the Hurricanes, Seth Jarvis has been a key piece like he was during the regular season. He’s second on the Hurricanes in goals (four) and tied for second in points (six). He has had some close opportunities to have a couple more goals on his postseason stat sheet. If there is someone due for a breakout game, it’s the Winnipeg native, who led the team in goals (32) and tied his career high in points (67) while setting a new high in assists (35) during the regular season. He was voted the team MVP by the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) Raleigh Chapter, and rightfully so. The Capitals have been playing decent against him, however, they cannot keep him quiet for long.
When asked by THW about starting the series on the road compared to at home, and what it means to split in that instance, he stated, “It’s always nice, it’s tough to win on the road in the regular season, it’s even harder in the playoffs. When you go out and take one, that’s huge, you want to win every game, but taking one on the road is big. Now we have to play in front of our fans. We’re super excited to be back home.”
Winning on the road is huge, and the fact that the Hurricanes have now done it twice gives some good notions that the team that finished sub-.500 on the road can get it done away from the Lenovo Center. Also, the fact that Svechnikov and Jarvis brought up the Caniacs shows that they truly know it means that much more when back in Raleigh. Now they can take what they did in Washington, D.C., and translate it back home, where it’s expected to be loud per usual in front of the Hurricanes fanbase.
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When asked about having his hometown buddies here in Raleigh and if it gives him an extra boost, he stated, “They’re awesome. Having them down here, they got to experience Raleigh and the playoffs, which was a lot of fun for them. Yeah, just to see them, I haven’t seen them in a while, so to have them down here is always nice and always fun to catch up.” THW followed up with if he took his buddies out around the area, and he said, “I try to, we’re not the most high-class people, so sometimes when I bring them away from Wendy’s or McDonald’s, they’re a little bit out of their comfort zone. I’m trying to treat them well and have fun with them.”
It was fun seeing his hometown buddies show up for Game 5 in Round 1 to see the Hurricanes close out the series. They were the same group who drove from Winnipeg to Boston, MA, for the final game of the 4 Nations Face-Off. At least Jarvis tried to show them some of the best food spots in Raleigh (which is underrated as a foodie scene).
Rod Brind’Amour
The Hurricanes look to bounce back from the 3-1 Game 2 loss from Thursday on Saturday night back home. The first update Brind’Amour gave was that Mark Jankowski was doubtful for Game 3 due to an injury he sustained in Game 2. When asked by THW about Frederik Andersen coming back from his injury in Game 4 of Round 1 to bounce back like he has, he stated, “He’s gotten kind of used to being out for long stretches. I think that actually benefits him in these situations, because if he’s out for a long time, all of a sudden, he’s back and doesn’t seem like he’s missed a step. So maybe it’s just from experience.”
When looking at Andersen this season, he did miss over 30 games due to knee surgery in November, and then missing Games 4 and 5 in Round 1 shows that even when he’s out a long time, he can come back with no issues. It speaks volumes to the mental preparation from Andersen to be out for so long, but then come right back to being dialed in. Especially when he is 4-2 with a 1.55 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in six games for the Hurricanes. That kind of effort shows why the Hurricanes extended him for one more season, due to his calm demeanor when in the net, no matter if it’s the regular season or the playoffs.
When asked about Svechnikov having a stellar postseason after an up-and-down regular season, Brind’Amour said, “That’s a question for him. He cares about the game and taking care of himself. So that never felt like an issue; there’s a certain style of play that is not easy to play every night. But that’s what he has to learn to be successful.”
Svechnikov has stepped up big for the Hurricanes, and there is a sense that will continue as the Hurricanes roll along in the postseason. If he can keep that going and take it to the next level, it will go a long way toward a deeper playoff run for the Hurricanes.
All Eyes on Game 3
With the series tied 1-1, it will be a huge one, especially for the Hurricanes as they head home for Game 3 on Saturday night (May 10) at the Lenovo Center. The puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. Eastern and will be aired on TNT. Can the Hurricanes bounce back from their Game 2 loss to retake the series lead? Or, will the Capitals win one on the road and put pressure on the Hurricanes in the series? Expect fireworks in Game 3 back in Raleigh on Saturday.
