Winning, and ‘fun,’ on the Hurricanes’ agenda on a lengthy West Coast road trip
The Carolina Hurricanes are off on a six-game road trip, and there are certain priorities attached to it.
“Take care of business,” forward Jordan Martinook said Monday, “and then have some fun.
“That’s the mindset we go out with every game. We want to win, we want to take care of business and we’ll have our fun.”
But the Canes’ trip begins with a game Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Canes flew out to Las Vegas on Monday afternoon, with plenty of free time to be spent before the hockey.
Does that mean there might be “some fun” before “business” — that is, the night before the game?
For example, what does Jordan Martinook like to do in Vegas?
“I like going to shows,” he said, smiling. “And eating. And maybe tossing dice, I don’t know.”
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said he expects his players to be responsible, in Vegas and at the other stops on the road — Los Angeles, San Jose, Seattle, Philadelphia. No problems, he said.
“Not with this group,” Brind’Amour said. “Maybe 20 years ago you’d have some concern. The game was a little different. But not now.”
In the past, the “socializing” part of a trip would go on a little longer and the effects of it last a little longer. As Brind’Amour put it, the “mentality was different,” although one has to believe Brind’Amour, always the fitness buff, was likely laying out the next day’s workout in the gym or on the ice.
Getting healthy
The Canes will take an 11-2-0 record on the road and something close to a fully healthy team. Forward Jesper Fast, who has been fighting an illness, missed Monday’s practice at Wake Competition Center but will be on the trip. So will forward Martin Necas, who also has been ill, plus forward Nino Niederreiter, defenseman Brett Pesce and goalie Antti Raanta, who all have missed recent games with injuries.
Pesce has not played since crashing into the boards during the Nov. 3 game at Chicago. Out of the lineup went a D-man who logged big minutes, was being used on the penalty kill but also this season as a power-play quarterback.
Forward Josh Leivo was reassigned Monday to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, but the Canes could have 13 forwards available, leaving Brind’Amour with a decision to make on who plays and who sits.
Another big decision: What to do with rookie Seth Jarvis? The forward, the Canes’ first-round draft pick in 2020, has played six NHL games. If he continues to play, the San Jose game on Nov. 22 would be his 10th NHL game.
Jarvis, 19, is in the position of either sticking with the Canes all season or being sent back to his junior team, the Portland Winterhawks. There is no AHL option for him. He can play nine NHL games without activating the first year of his entry level contract with Carolina, but should he play a 10th the first year of the contract begins.
Brind’Amour gave no hint Monday of how the Jarvis situation will be handled, saying only that he would play against Vegas — game No. 7 for Jarvis for those keeping count — and then “go from there.”
Here’s a hint: Jarvis was on Sebastian Aho’s line with Andrei Svechnikov in Monday’s practice and was still being used on a power-play unit with Niederreiter back. Jesperi Kotkaniemi was not on a power-play unit.
Martinook was asked Monday what a team can learn about itself on a long road trip.
“If we like each other?” he said, again with a smile.
“No, I feel like this group’s been pretty tight from the beginning. Honestly, we’ve got a lot of guys with kids and families, so I feel like toward the end of you start to miss your family and your kids. I feel that’s where you need each other the most, near of the end of it, when you’re trying to see the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel kind of thing. That’s when being close as a group can help you a lot.”
Carolina Hurricanes at Vegas Golden Knights
When: Tuesday, 10 p.m..
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
TV/Radio: Bally Sports South, WCMC-99.9 FM
Hurricanes road trip
Nov. 16 — Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.
Nov. 18 — Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m.
Nov. 20 — Los Angeles Kings, 4 p.m.
Nov. 22 — San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m.
Nov. 24 — Seattle Kraken, 10 p.m.
Nov. 26 — Philadelphia Flyers, 3:30 p.m.
