Playoff Quotebook: Ready For Action

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Stanley Cup Playoffs officially begin on Saturday, but the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils will have to wait one more day to get going.

A welcome buffer after closing out their regular season with a back-to-back set on Wednesday and Thursday, the team returned to the ice this morning after a day away and a team dinner on Friday.

It had been some time since the Canes had their full complement of personnel together with their skates tied, as the group had used the last two weeks to give lineup mainstays time off the ice, healing bumps and bruises in an effort to get to 100% ahead of this first-round series.

But the time for rest is over.

There's no shortage of storylines ahead of Sunday at 3 p.m., so here's who had to say what from around the locker room following today's skate...

It's Playoff Time, Baby...

From September until early April, Rod Brind'Amour likes to talk about how you have to "run the first race", or play the regular season, before you can "get to the second race," also known as the playoffs.

Well, the first race is over, and it's all eyes on the grand prize at this point.

Here's what Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal and Taylor Hall had to say about finally arriving at the postseason:

Sebastian Aho on the excitement of it finally being the playoffs...
"This is why we play. It's very exciting. It's the best time of the year. It's not too hard to get excited and to be ready for tomorrow... The first thing you're going to feel when you wake up is that you want to go right away and I think that everyone's going to have that little jump in their legs. It's awesome."

Jordan Staal when asked if having several veteran guys in the room who haven't won a Stanley Cup before adds extra motivation...
"Absolutely. Everyone wants to win. No questions asked. When you do win one, it's great, but I feel like it just gives you that much drive to win another one. But for the guys who are searching for their first one, everyone in this group is going to fight as hard as you can for each other."

Taylor Hall on the biggest key to winning in the playoffs...
“Handling momentum, and handling adversity. I know that’s cliché, but just handling different things that can happen throughout a game and throughout a series. It’s really important to remember that to win four games against a team is hard, and there are going to be ups and downs through the next couple of weeks here. I think the team that kind of stays steady is in the best spot.”

The Lineup...

To close out the final stretch of the regular season, the Canes used a few call-ups from the Chicago Wolves to help avoid injury to key players and also get a look at the future. However, the time for both has gone by the wayside, and it's time to put your best players on the ice.

Now, with everyone outside of Jesper Fast healthy, Rod Brind'Amour and staff have some tough decisions to make.

Based upon line rushes and special teams drills on Saturday, it appears that Tyson Jost and Eric Robinson may be the odd men out up front, but while the head coach didn't say that explicitly, here's what he and the Captain did say:

Rod Brind'Amour when asked about how his lineup will shake out, with a surplus of healthy bodies...
"We've got to hammer that out. I don't know how it's going to shake down. I feel like this might be the first year we could say we have all of our guys [available] heading into the postseason. I feel like every year we were missing somebody really that you're counting on. It's good that we have these decision to make and hopefully it remains that way."

Rod Brind'Amour when asked if he knows who he will start in net for Sunday's Game 1...
"I think so. I know that's the million-dollar question. We'll more than likely start Freddie."

Jordan Staal when asked about being given a few extra days off this past week and how beneficial that can be...
"I think with the kind of schedule and knowing we were rolling into a game this weekend, and the travel and stuff, they decided [to give us] a few days. We've got hopefully a lot of hockey ahead of us and rest is always important at times, so we'll take it and hopefully it pays off."

The Devil You Know...

The Canes and Devils met four times during the regular season and know each other well from their many meetings over the past few years.

Here's what Sebastian Aho, Taylor Hall and Rod Brind'Amour had to say about the opposition...

Sebastian Aho when asked about New Jersey's lineup, including a few familiar faces...
"Obviously, there's no friends in this series. I'm sure we'll talk after the series, but from now on, we're probably radio silent."

Taylor Hall when asked if facing New Jersey, one of his former teams, meaning anything...
“There’s not too many [familiar faces]. Nico (Hischier) and Bratter (Jesper Bratt), I played with Nase (Stefan Noesen) there, but really not a lot of guys at all. I’ve been on a couple of teams since then, so a little bit removed from it and looking forward to going to battle.”

Rod Brind'Amour giving New Jersey credit for the roster they've constructed after missing the playoffs last year...
"They did a lot of good moves in the offseason. That team got much better, clearly. Just with the additions that we've already mentioned here (Markstrom, Pesce, etc.), they would help any team. That position (goaltender), we know you've got to have it. They did a nice job there."