Carolina Hurricanes look to stay sharp with physical practice while awaiting second-round opponent
As the Carolina Hurricanes await their next opponent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team is staying as sharp as they can at practice.
On Wednesday morning, the Canes hit the ice for a practice that didn’t look like your typical postseason practice. Canes head coach Rod Brind’Amour put his team in game-like situations to mimic the speed and physicality of the playoffs.
There was an emphasis on physicality.
“It’s a little bit of a guessing game on what’s the best way to approach things,” Brind’Amour said. “You back off all the way and get you know really feeling really great, or do you worry about the edge coming off? So I guess you kind of try to play somewhere in the middle.”
Several Hurricanes players told reporters in the locker room that they are thankful for the rest, but ultimately, they want to get back out on the ice and play.
“It’s nice to go out there and compete,” Canes forward Seth Jarvis said. “We had a lot of battle drills, so it was good to kind of get that aspect. We sit for a few days, maybe you lose that. So it’s nice just to go out there.”
The Philadelphia Flyers hold a 3-2 advantage in their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flyers look to close out the Penguins on Wednesday night at home.
However, if the Penguins win, it will push the series to seven games, which would likely further delay the start of the Canes next series, since they’ll play the winner between the two Pennsylvania teams.
The Hurricanes got a welcome sight during Wednesday morning’s practice. Rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin was back on the ice in a yellow, no-contact jersey just a day after Brind’Amour told reporters he was “hopeful” he’d be ready for their second round game.
Nikishin suffered a concussion this past Saturday after a scary hit in Game 4 versus Ottawa, which took him out of the game.
“I think he’s feeling good,” Brind’Amour said of Nikishin. “Whatever he’s got to do to get tested, it’s all going along in the right direction.”
Nikishin was on the ice alongside his line partner Shayne Gostisbehere, but taking precaution in Wednesday’s drills. Being back on the ice and getting one step closer in the concussion protocol was a welcome sight for his teammates.
“Concussions are never a straight line to coming back,” forward Taylor Hall said. “There are good days and bad days, and as you progress and go harder and harder, you might feel differently.”
If Nikishin can’t play, the Canes have Mike Reilly ready to go, and they recalled Charles Alexis LeGault from the Chicago Wolves earlier this week.
Reilly is the Canes’ seventh defenseman at full health.
The Canes will not practice on Thursday morning.
