Canes Using Break To Reset Mentally, 'Sharpen The Knife'

RALEIGH, N.C. - Playoff hockey is a grind, both mental and physical.

The beauty of the Carolina Hurricanes' current situation is that they've bought themselves time to recharge in both of those departments.

As they await the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens to decide who will line up across from them in this year's Eastern Conference Final, the team has had a balance of practices at Lenovo Center and days away from the ice. Starting with a rare back-to-back set of off days post-Philadelphia, the unit was back on the ice on Tuesday and Wednesday, before taking a third day off the ice on Thursday.

Three days without lacing up the skates in a single week is almost unheard of at any time of the year, but especially at this juncture of things. A luxury, nonetheless.

"It's really just turning that anxiety meter off a bit. That stress meter. Not thinking about the game. Turning your mind off is the biggest thing," Jordan Staal said of the downtime.

Whether it's a day spent with their young ones, on the golf course, or elsewhere, there's a benefit to it all.

"I don't know if people realize how stressed we can be, even on an off day. We're always thinking about the game. Some guys (take their mind off the game) better than others," the captain continued. "When you're out this long, it's good to take some time and enjoy your family time. Regrouping the mind and the body is very important."

There's no blueprint for how to handle a week between playoff games; however, the Canes are leaning on the cadence that helped them between Rounds 1 and 2, and still yielded success.

"I think that worked, what we did," Rod Brind'Amour said following one of this week's skates. "We've got to stay sharp, but we're not diving too much into (preparation for) anybody. We're worrying about our stuff."

With Buffalo-Montreal now needing a minimum of six games, the Canes will have at least four or five more days ahead of them before returning to game action.

"There are positives and negatives to it. I think the big positive is that we’re onto the third round relatively unscathed and healthy," Taylor Hall pointed out. "You don’t want to see injuries, per se, but we hope these (other) series go far and these teams have battles. That’s the advantage that we’re going to have."

Practice days may seem monotonous, and wrapping up each session with half-ice sprints is far from a favorite, but the plan, developed by not just Brind'Amour but the whole staff, has the full trust of the players.

"We’re going to be hockey-ready if the series goes long(er). Rod, our strength staff, and all of our staff do a really good job making sure that we’re ready, athletically, to play. From there, we get our footing pretty quickly,” Hall continued.

For a team that held just five practices following the Winter Olympics due to their condensed game schedule, there's beauty in having time to hone in on the details, too.

"(Practice is) always a good thing. Roddy's practices are enough," Staal said with a laugh. "We're chomping at the bit to get going, but at the same time, we have to say as sharp as we can, and this is what you do when you're trying to do that."

Whether it's a rest day or a practice day, both can help the crew as they eye "another level" in Round 3.

They know their next test will be the toughest yet. Whoever it is, they'll have full faith in the process that's gotten them to this point.

"You don't need to reinvent the wheel. We've obviously got to get better at everything we're doing, so we're going to focus on that," Brind'Amour added. "I don't think you want to deviate too much from what you're doing. We always say 'sharpening the knife.' We've got to keep razor sharp on what we do well."

“We don’t have to change our game and the way we play from the regular season. It’s the same way. I think we up the physicality a little bit. We hammer in on the details, but the way we play is the exact same," Hall reaffirmed.

There's no complacency to be found, though.

“You take the win, and you take your rest. Obviously, it’s not the goal," Jaccob Slavin said of the break. "We’ve got to do all eight wins again just to get to the end. (Winning two series is) just another step.”

Echoing that same hunger, it's not lost on the group that there would be no moral victory from getting to this point.

“You’ve got to get through the Conference Final to win it. It takes four series," Frederik Andersen offered. "We’re happy with the work we’ve put in so far. We talk a lot about how the first step is to make the playoffs and take big steps after that. We just continue to push, and we have a lot of experience. We’re going to be in for a good battle next series, no matter what.”

Healthy, rested, experienced, and mentally fresh. Sounds like a dangerous combination.

The "rest versus rust" debate will linger for just a few more days, but, no matter when the puck drops, the team will be ready.

"One thing I love about this group is that when we show up to work, we work... You show up to work, and you work your butt off, right? That's kind of the way, and then on your downtime, do whatever you want. I think the practices are high pace, high intensity, and that's how you stay sharp physically," Sebastian Aho said. "I have no worries about this team. We'll be ready whenever we start."

Whether Buffalo-Montreal concludes on Saturday or Monday, come next week, the Canes and Caniacs will have Lenovo Center ready to shake as the group begins a third Eastern Conference Final in four years on home ice.

"Everyone goes through life differently. Everyone takes the stress of this game differently," Staal finished with. "I know that for my mind and my body, it's been a good week, and I'm really excited to get going again."