Hurricanes back home after road trip filled with wins, unexpected dining choices
The Carolina Hurricanes flew back into Raleigh early Tuesday morning, finishing up what had been a road trip filled with good wins and some good stories.
The Canes won five of the six games to come back with 10 points. Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Wednesday he was pleased with the team’s 60-minute effort in each game, including a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues in the second game of the trip.
“The compete has been really good,” Brind’Amour said after a team practice at Invisalign Arena. “We can still be better in a lot of areas but overall I liked it.
“In every game, there were parts where the other team got their game going, but really we came ready to go every night. We probably deserved better in a lot of periods that we had. But for putting a lot of new stuff for a lot of new guys, I think we’re picking up pretty well, which is encouraging because I know we can be better.”
Andersen sidelined by injury
The one downside to the trip was having goalie Frederik Andersen sustain a lower-body injury while playing and winning at Seattle on Saturday. Goalie Spencer Martin was recalled from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL and was the backup for Pyotr Kochetkov for the final game of the trip, Monday at Vancouver.
Brind’Amour had no further update Wednesday but added, “I’m under the impression it shouldn’t be too serious.”
The Canes (6-2-0) will play their first home game since Oct. 15 on Thursday against the Boston Bruins at the Lenovo Center.
To recap the Canes’ longest road swing of the season – a yearly thing during the N.C. State Fair run – it began with a 4-1 win in Pittsburgh. Carolina lost in St. Louis, but then had a 3-2 overtime win at Edmonton and beat the Calgary Flames, 4-2.
Fine, and not so fine, dining
The Canes enjoyed a big team dinner in Calgary, captain Jordan Staal said Wednesday, that was hosted by Jordan Martinook, a Brandon, Manitoba native. That was one of the team “bonding” events the players inevitably bring up when asked about long road trips – the chance to break bread together, if you will.
After the fine dining came fast food in Seattle.
The Canes swept past the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Saturday, then discovered their charter flight had to be scrapped because of mechanical issues with the plane.
The decision was made to bus to Vancouver for the final game of the trip. The problem: the team planned to eat on the flight, as usual, but now had few food choices at midnight in Seattle.
While it was reported that defenseman Brent Burns arranged for 100 hamburgers to be bought from a Seattle McDonald’s, Sebastian Aho said Wednesday that was not quite the case.
Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere had the McDonald’s app on his phone and was the one who placed the order, Aho said.
“Ghost paid for it, too,” Aho said.
With only the takeout window open at McDonald’s, Burns did find a way to secure the order. He apparently flagged down a motorist and asked if he would drive through and pick up the food.
“Whatever, you’ve got to eat,” Brind’Amour said. “But you’ve got to adapt. What are you going to do? There are things you can control and things you can’t. We made it.”
Still, Brent Burns with his bushy beard and gap-toothed visage approaching a stranger about using his car? Brind’Amour smiled Wednesday when asked if he’d have let Burns into his car.
“If I knew him, yes. By looking at him, maybe not,” Brind’Amour said. “I don’t know. Listen, we had to do the best we could. It’s a good memory.”
Aho said he did have a burger, but only one. Staal said he also had one, and maybe some fries. Burns, an individualist who prefers elk and venison, may have passed.
“It’s a funny story, looking back now,” Aho said.
Big trip for Aho
Aho had both the overtime winners, against Edmonton and then the Canucks. The first came on a ripped one-timer from the right circle. The second might be the easiest goal Aho will have this season, the center tapping in the rebound of a Gostisbehere shot.
Aho said another memory he will have is that the team, even if rebuilt to a degree for this season, was able to “start on time” in each of the games.
“That’s big. That obviously helps to have good starts,” he said. “And we were good on the power play for most of the time.
“Just a team effort, all through the lineup, top to bottom. We worked our tails off, and that gave us a chance, really. Good trip.”
And getting back home, playing in front of the home folks?
“It’s no time to take a breather,” Aho said. “We need to get right back at it.”
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 1:57 PM.
