Svechnikov's Monster Sunday In Newark

RALEIGH, N.C. - Rod Brind'Amour has many quirks and phrases that Carolina Hurricanes fans have come to know and love over the years.

He can be tight-lipped on certain subjects, vague when it comes to injury timelines, or even sometimes swerve you when it comes to his lineup decisions. At one point this season, General Manager Eric Tulsky even joked that he "needs a decoder" for some of the things he'll say.

But one straightforward remark you can bank on hearing from the head coach this time of year is some form of the sentence "your best players need to be your best players."

Sporadically used throughout the regular season, Brind'Amour rehashed that exact line before Round 1 started, and he said it again during the early evening hours on Sunday at Prudential Center. The difference between the trio of usages was that yesterday's application came after one of his star players was exactly that, tying it to Andrei Svechnikov's three-goal performance in a bounce-back 5-2 Game 4 victory over the New Jersey Devils.

"We've talked about this for a long time - your best players need to be your best players," Brind'Amour proudly reiterated. "They have to be at this time of year, noticeable, but they also have to actually be on the scoresheet... He was around it, and if we want to be successful, we’ve got to get those contributions."

Not only was Svechnikov noticeable from a physical standpoint, continuing an ongoing feud with Devils backstop Jacob Markstrom, be he also led all skaters with six shots on goal in 15:13 of ice time, on the way to the franchise's second-ever postseason hat trick.

It was a standout performance that many, including himself, had been waiting for.

“It was a hard season for me, but right now, the playoff time is my time. I love this time of year," Svechnikov said with a smirk, seemingly allowing himself to flex his admirable afternoon. "I love playing a physical game. I’m just trying to do everything that’s going to help my team win these games. Obviously, you mentioned Markstrom, I love those moments. I love every second of that. I love those little dirty moments and playing physical."

The three-goal effort started with a simple yet effective effort. A spinning shot from atop the glove-side circle looked relatively harmless on the surface, but a high screen from Jackson Blake and some additional traffic between Svechnikov and Markstrom removed the goalie's ability to see it, giving Carolina an opening-minute advantage.

“That first goal was huge for him. He’s obviously been up-and-down this year, and one just sneaks in for him. You could tell - I know the feeling, it just goes in and you just start feeling more confident, start finding holes and the game slows down a little bit," Jordan Staal praised post-game.

Extending the lead to 3-0 to start the second period, the second goal of the afternoon came on the man advantage, once again denting New Jersey's normally stellar special teams.

"He made a great play on the power play. He was steady with the puck, not forcing much, just playing Svechnikov hockey. We’re going to need him to keep doing that and be the player we all know he can be,” Staal continued.

Capping off his outing with an empty net tally, even Blake, a first-year forward, knows that the engine of the Canes runs at a stronger clip when #37 is producing.

"So well-deserved. He’s been bringing it every night in the playoffs, and it’s been fun to see and to play with him," the 21-year-old offered inside the locker room, post-game. "On the empty netter, I had to look for him. I’m happy he had that night. It’s good for his confidence, and I’m excited to see what he keeps on doing."

Long described as having the skill set of a power forward-type role that has diminished in the game over recent years, Svechnikov has shown an ability to be a prized postseason performer. In addition to now 41 points in six trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he's laid thunderous hits and put home timely tallies along the way.

Rod Brind'Amour said he was the team's best player in last year's Round 1 series win over the New York Islanders, and his teammates are hoping yesterday's performance is a showing of what's to come over the next few weeks.

"He's a huge part of our team. He can control the game out there with his skill, his presence, his physicality, his overall game and so on. It just makes us that much better of a team," fellow goal-scorer Jaccob Slavin said post-game. "It's huge for him and hopefully he just keeps doing that."