Putting It All Together: Meeting Expectations & The Message

RALEIGH, NC - Wednesday morning the Carolina Hurricanes practiced at PNC Arena, preparing for their first back-to-back set of games that will begin tomorrow night.
The team's undefeated start of 5-0-0 has given plenty of reason to be happy, but of course there's 77 games remaining to be played.

Following Monday night's win over Toronto, Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour said that he was most proud of his team's work ethic through the opening stretch, believing that that's been the high point and most defining factor in getting them to their flawless record thus far.
Practice days of course serve a purpose, however, some may wonder what goes into a day like today, when the team is winning and the hard work has been evident. There's always small details that can be worked on. There's pre-scouting that goes into examining the future opponents, but not something that alters the entire iteration of a team's practice. When prompted what it will take to be successful against seemingly any incoming team, the response always seems to be some form of "we just need to play our game". So, how does a team that hasn't lost try and get better, while also attempt to find the balance of remaining focused on the task at hand, yet knowing what's ahead of them?
"[Finding] that is the trick of sports and especially with the way we play so many games in such a short amount of time," Brind'Amour answered. "You always hype that [upcoming] game and then less than a minute after that game is over, you're already talking about the next game."

Of the games that the team has played, there've been games within the games, if you will, in over more than half of them. The bench boss said himself leading up to it, there's always nerves leading into opening night. The team didn't roll out an entire dress rehearsal during their four preseason contests, so the October 14 contest against the Islanders was the first time that the team was able to see what they had when all together as a unit. They got the job done there, showing an output of six goals. A week later they were in Montreal, where the saga surrounding Jesperi Kotkaniemi reached its peak. The team got the job done for him and he scored to boot. Monday night Frederik Andersen took on friends and former teammates. Despite allowing an early goal, he then dialed it in and the team provided ample support for another win.

Some would say that the team has risen to the occasion when necessary. The Canes players and staff would tell you though that there's no need to "rise" to the level they have, that it's merely the expectation they have every game, every day.
"You have to understand that, take pride in the fact that that's your job and I think that's what this group has done well," Brind'Amour continued. "It's been a short sample size, but they've done it well."
Message instilled from the top down, it's just another example of the culture that the former team captain turned head coach has cultivated amongst the group. A clear reflection of the man that headed the locker room to the organization's brightest day in 2006.
"It's everything," Brett Pesce began with. "Ever since the first day he started coaching our team four years ago, that was what he preached. As long as we come to work and work hard every day, he doesn't have the problem with the outcome of any game. Guys have taken that to heart."
Of course, everything is easier to see and discuss when the team is off to the start that they are. But you can't stop watering the grass just because it's green one day, right? There's room to highlight what is going right here, no matter how well documented Brind'Amour's culture is and what the rewards of it have been so far.
"Personally, I've learned that that creates success. As you see, we've made it to the playoffs, and I think now we're closer to achieving our ultimate] goal more than ever. That starts with that message."
**Worth A Click:**
[Saves In The Making: Catching Up With David Ayres
Recap: Canes Improve to 5-0-0, Matching Best Start in Franchise History
The Little Things: Brind'Amour's Tweaks Paying Dividends