Here’s how the Canes’ Jordan Staal is playing since his return from COVID-19 protocol
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour often sighs when asked about Jordan Staal.
How many times does he have to say it, Brind’Amour’s body language screams. The big center is invaluable. His contributions to the team don’t always show up on the score sheet. The Canes need his size and experience. His toughness.
“I don’t know how else to say it,” Brind’Amour recently said on a media call. “I’ve been saying it forever.”
And Staal wears the “C” as team captain. That says a lot, too, about Staal without anyone having to say it.
Staal has played like a man possessed since returning from the COVID-19 protocol list in late January. He was the first of six Canes on the list this season, having to go through quarantine, and more or less blamed himself for being the first with COVID and a possible spreader to his teammates.
Vincent Trocheck, another veteran center, has gained a better appreciation for Staal since coming to the Canes in a trade with the Florida Panthers a year ago.
“He’s underrated,” Trocheck said recently. “He’s so steady. You notice when he’s not there. He’s such a pivotal player, plays in different situations, five on five, power play, penalty kill. He’s a great faceoff guy, takes a majority of the draws in the defensive zone and obviously, he’s been going in the offensive zone, too, this year.”
The Carolina team captain finding the net
Staal has been finding the net for the Canes (10-3-0). He scored twice Monday in a 7-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, using his 6-4, 220-pound frame -- he’s called “Gronk” -- to get to the net and refusing to be dislodged.
Late in the first period, he took a pass from Warren Foegele and banged it past goalie Joonas Korpisalo. Columbus coach John Tortorella, asked abut Korpisalo’s play after the game, said he “didn’t like the second goal” but the coach also has seen enough of Staal to know how and why he scored.
Staal’s second goal came on a redirect on a third-period power play. Andrei Svechnikov’s shot was redirected in the slot by Trocheck, hit Staal and bounced past Elvis Merzlikins, who had replaced Korpisalo in the third.
It was Staal’s sixth goal of the season in 11 games -- that after scoring eight in 68 games last season before the coronavirus pause, and 19 total in 118 games in 2018-19 and last season. He has scored in each of the last three games and has five in his last five.
Defensively, he has always been a load. He separates people from pucks. He’s winning 61.7 percent of his faceoffs.
And although Staal has been scoring goals he has shown a nice touch on setup passes that have led to goals, including a no-looker to Sebastian Aho for a power-play goal recently against the Dallas Stars.
“These plays he’s making, they’re the same plays he’s been making over and over for years,” Brind’Amour said. “We’re connecting on them right now.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’d come back after a game and say, ‘How did Jordo not have three points last night?’ Right now, he’s getting his due. I think he’s feeling it now, too, with a bit of confidence. You see it in the plays he’s making.”
Staal wants to help his team win
Staal mostly shrugs it off. He has played nearly 1,000 regular-season games in the NHL, won a Stanley Cup, scored big goals. He doesn’t define his play on whether he scores or not, only if he did the things to help his team win.
“I’m getting some good bounces,” he said on a recent media call. “I felt good coming into the season. I thought I had a strong offseason. It’s nice to pop in a few early and get the confidence going. Much like a few guys on our team I’m just feeling confident and playing well.”
Staal noted Brock McGinn and Nino Niederreiter have had strong starts, scored goals. He also noted the value of having Svechnikov and Foegele on his line, two young, aggressive wingers.
“I’m getting the opportunity to play with some special players who create a lot of offense,” he said.
As a player and former Canes captain, Brind’Amour twice was awarded the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. He sees no reason why Staal shouldn’t be in the Selke conversation if he can continue playing at the pace he’s on.
“Definitely,” Brind’Amour said.
Enough said?
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers
When: Wednesday, 5 p.m.
Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh.
Watch: FSCR
This story was originally published February 16, 2021 at 2:20 PM.
