Hurricanes’ Rod Brind’Amour in no rush to decide lines or goaltender for NHL restart
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour liked most of what he saw from his team in the first week of training camp.
A full complement of players at practice — meaning no positive tests for the coronavirus — and no injuries on the ice, there isn’t much else he could have asked for. Except ...
“I’d like to get sharp,” Brind’Amour said. “I think we’ve covered a lot of stuff but it’s the sharpness. I think we’ve got to sharpen the blade.”
Pace should continue to quicken and intensify. There will be more attention to detail. Some decisions — on lines, the defensive pairings, goaltending — could be reached before the team ends Phase 3 of the NHL’s Return to Play format and leaves for Toronto on Sunday.
“Get game ready and do all the little things right,” forward Nino Niederreiter said Saturday about the focus this week.
Once in Toronto and inside the protective “bubble” there will be continued workouts and one exhibition game against the Washington Capitals on July 29. Then it’s game on. The Canes face the New York Rangers beginning Aug. 1 in a best-of-five qualifying round for the playoffs.
“The attitude has been phenomenal and the work ethic has been really, really good,” Brind’Amour said. “I’ve been really, really happy with everybody.”
After being off the ice Monday, the Canes will be at it Tuesday at PNC Arena. As for the decisions to be made ...
The lines
Brind’Amour has kept consistency in the lines through most of the first week of camp and that may not change.
There will be no tinkering with the top line that has Sebastian Aho centering Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov.
For much of the first week, including some scrimmaging on Saturday, Jordan Staal’s line had Brock McGinn and Justin Williams on his wings. That changed Sunday when Warren Foegele replaced McGinn and McGinn was shifted to Morgan Geekie’s line opposite Jordan Martinook.
Someone figures to be the odd man out among the forwards and it could be on Vincent Trocheck’s line. He has had Ryan Dzingel and Martin Necas on the wings along with Niederreiter during camp.
“We want to battle as hard as we can and I feel like everybody is well motivated,” Niederreiter said.
Niederreiter said he was “not very happy” about his play this season. And now? “Just hit the re-set button and get it going in the playoffs,” he said.
The defense
The pecking order on the back end seemed set much of the first week among the eight defensemen.
Jaccob Slavin was reunited with Dougie Hamilton, who missed the last 21 games before the NHL pause with a broken fibula. Brady Skjei and Sami Vatanen, both obtained by the Canes at the Feb. 24 trade deadline, were paired together.
The other two pairings had Jake Gardiner with Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Haydn Fleury with Joel Edmundson. Sunday, there was a tweak: Edmundson playing with Gardiner and van Riemsdyk with Fleury.
As Brind’Amour noted, it’s a nice “problem” to have — eight NHL defensemen, all capable of stepping into the lineup and playing. And any long playoff run should test the depth of a defensive group.
“We have a great, deep D corps right now,” Slavin said last week. “Through the playoffs, anything can happen and you see injuries happen and you see some guys get hot and some guys get cold. To have eight guys is going to be extremely helpful. It’s a deep corps and anybody can step into almost any role and play that.”
Goaltending
Petr Mrazek or James Reimer? Brind’Amour can and probably will wait a little longer before making that goaltending call.
“There’s a ton of scenarios,” Brind’Amour said.
In a best-of-five series, a coach must move quickly and decisively on personnel decisions, and especially in net. Make the wrong call and the series could end quickly.
“You’re not going to wait around on anybody too long, whether it’s the goalies or a player,” Brind’Amour said. “If you feel like their game’s not there I don’t think you can wait to get them going.”
A year ago, the Canes lost the first two games of the opening round against the Capitals with Mrazek in net. Brind’Amour stuck with him, the series momentum swung and the Canes eventually won in seven.
But the third and fourth games of the series were in Raleigh, with PNC Arena teeming and Mrazek feeding off the fans’ energy. The Canes won both. In the 2020 postseason it will be Scotiabank Arena in Toronto for all the games, with no fans in the stands.
“A guy might have a bad game but he could still be ready, if you know what I mean,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s a different scenario. But if you feel like they’re not up to speed I don’t think any coach can wait around too long. There’s just not enough games.”
CANES-RANGERS QUALIFYING ROUND
(Best of five)
- Game 1: Saturday, Aug. 1, 12 p.m.
- Game 2: Monday, Aug. 3, 12 p.m.
- Game 3: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 8 p.m.
- *Game 4: Thursday, Aug. 6, TBD
- *Game 5: Saturday, Aug. 8, TBD
* — If necessary
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 1:27 PM.
