No magic to it. Brind’Amour wants Canes to win out to reach playoffs
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour doesn’t spend much time worrying about a “magic number.”
The Canes have three games left in the regular season and Brind’Amour says, “We’ve got to win our next three.”
Meaning, win all three to assure themselves a place in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Three wins would do it. No suspense that way.
After a 3-1 loss Sunday to the Pittsburgh Penguins, coupled with the Columbus Blue Jackets beating the Buffalo Sabres, the Canes and Blue Jackets swapped wild-card spots -- Columbus moving into the first wild-card position with 94 points and the Canes hold the second wild-card spot with 93. Just behind: the Montreal Canadiens with 92 points.
To reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009, the Canes need a combination of six points -- either points gained or points lost by the Canadiens. Win all three games, as Brind’Amour said, and it’s a moot point. Win two games, have the Habs lose one and the Canes are in. And so it goes. Six is the number.
All three teams play Tuesday and only the Canes are on the road, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Blue Jackets host the Boston Bruins and the Canadiens host the Tampa Bay Lightning, the league’s best team.
“I learned a long time ago we’re not getting help,” Brind’Amour said Sunday. “We’re going to have to win our games, take care of our business and don’t rely on anyone else.”
The Canes, after the Leafs game, close out the season with a final home game Thursday against New Jersey and a road game Saturday at Philadelphia.
Montreal will play Thursday at Washington and then home Saturday against the Maple Leafs. The Blue Jackets, at least on paper, have the easiest path to the playoffs with a game Friday against the New York Rangers, then Saturday against the Ottawa Senators -- albeit both games on the road.
The Canes will play Tuesday without defenseman Calvin de Haan, who left Sunday’s game with an upper-body injury. Carolina on Monday recalled defenseman Haydn Fleury from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL on an emergency basis.
A question for the Canes are how they will handle the goaltending. Petr Mrazek is the likely starter against the Leafs but with the schedule spacing could start all three games unless Brind’Amour decides to give Curtis McElhinney another start.
This story was originally published April 1, 2019 at 9:45 AM.
