Hurricanes 'have to do better' at face-offs ahead of Game 3 at Senators

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Though the Carolina Hurricanes are off to the 2-0 lead they wanted in the Eastern Conference First Round against the Ottawa Senators, their success in the face-off circle will shape the outcome of the best-of-7 series. 

That was the message coach Rod Brind'Amour delivered after practice Wednesday ahead of Game 3 at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TBS, FDSNSO, HBO MAX).

The Hurricanes won 36.3 percent (29-for-80) of face-offs in a 3-2 double-overtime win at Lenovo Center on Monday and 43.6 percent (24-for-55) when they defeated the Senators 2-0 in Game 1 on Saturday. Their 39.3 percent winning percentage (53-for-135) is last in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It's been difficult, Brind'Amour said without getting into specifics.

"I can't tell you, but we have to do better," Brind'Amour said. "There's understanding how refs are dropping pucks. There's a million things that go into it. We have to be better."

Some of the explanation rests with the Senators, who tied the New York Rangers for the best face-off win percentage in the NHL this season (54.5 percent). In the first two games of the series, Lars Eller is 19-for-27 (70.4 percent) and Claude Giroux is 20-for-31 (64.5 percent).

"They're good at it," Brind'Amour said. "You need to look more at what they're doing. They've got righties and lefties on every draw. It's an advantage. It's a big deal."

Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal won a team-high 55.5 percent of his draws in the regular season but is 47.6 percent (20-for-42) in the series.

"They have a lot of righty-lefties on their strong side on each line, and they compete hard, they dive in," Staal said. "They try to own the circle, and they make every single draw a contested one. Last game, we started tailing off, and that's not good enough. Our group of centers have to be better going forward."

The draws can't become a distraction.

"Rod has said don't let face-offs and how you're playing in the game affect each other," Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven said. "Obviously, you want to start with the puck every single time off the draw, but if not, I've got my wingers that are going to jump off the draw and hopefully put pressure on them and get the puck back."

The Hurricanes will need more offense for a better chance at a 3-0 series lead. The line of Taylor Hall, Stankoven and Jackson Blake has nine of Carolina's 14 points.

"You've got to get to your game," Brind'Amour said. "If you play your best game, you have a chance. If you don't, you don't have a chance, so you better get to it somehow."