The latest three contests have told a story for the series, and it’s been a one-sided tale.
Looking at the surface, the Hurricanes have outscored the Canadiens 10-4, they’ve outshot them 108-43, and they’ve outhit them 113-77. Pull back the curtain further, and most numbers will trend in a certain direction.
Yet Rod Brind’Amour’s squad remains unfulfilled and has an appetite to one-up its last outing. Without disrespecting their opponents, at times, it feels as though the group is competing against itself, looking to be better than yesterday.
“We’ve been really good at keeping our focus on right now,” Frederik Andersen offered. “Throughout the whole playoffs, I think we’ve been really good at just turning the page and coming ready to work the next day. That speaks to the leadership on the team, and obviously, the coaching staff is really good at just dialing us in and making sure that we come prepared to do a job that day.”
Even though Wednesday’s drubbing would rightfully be considered one of the team’s most complete performances of their 11-1 postseason run so far, there were hardly any smiles cracked following. There was no party scene in the locker room, and without the continuously growing media personnel, it would be easy to mistake the setting for a Tuesday night in December.
Victory is taken, the rope is passed, and it’s on to the next. The grindstone beckons once more the next morning.
It’s accepted, and it is embraced. If you’re content, this isn’t the place for you.
“The guys are focused. There’s one goal here,” Brind’Amour explained. “There’s still so much work ahead of us, and I think you can’t look at the big picture. I think we’ve just done a really nice job of focusing on what’s important, which is, now, it’s going to be tomorrow, and going about how to win that day. That’s the business-like approach. Show up, do your job, and then worry about the next day.”
