Hurricanes taking advantage of break leading up to Eastern Conference Final

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes returned to practice on Tuesday, three days after a four-game sweep of their Eastern Conference Second Round series against the Philadelphia Flyers. No one reaped the benefits of the short series more than coach Rod Brind’Amour.

“I actually thanked the guys today for getting it done so quick,” Brind’Amour said after practice. “So yesterday, instead of preparing for (Game 5) -- talk about the added stress -- I got to bring my kid out here and skate. That’s a stress reliever, and that’s a good day.”

The Hurricanes defeated the Flyers 3-2 in overtime on Saturday for their second straight series sweep, having eliminated the Ottawa Senators in the first round. After sweeping Ottawa, Carolina had six days before the start of the second round -- and a winning formula to handle the down time. 

Just as they did after the Senators series, the Hurricanes took two days off after eliminating the Flyers, with practices scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. This time, they await either the Buffalo Sabres or Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens lead that best-of-7 series 2-1 entering Game 4 at Montreal on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, ESPN), with the Hurricanes set to face the winner in the Eastern Conference Final.

“We had one of these breaks between Round 1 and Round 2, so we have a little bit of an understanding what we should do,” forward Sebastian Aho said. “I think the practices are high paced, high intensity, and that’s how you stay sharp physically. I think you show up to work, and you work your butt off. Then on your down time, do whatever you want.” 

Captain Jordan Staal said he welcomes the extended break rather than having to grind through additional games of a series.

“I enjoyed winning that fourth game,” Staal said with a smile. “So I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s good to try to turn everything off and enjoy the family and some away time. It’s good for our group. And how we felt coming out of that last (game), and that week, everyone was feeling good and sharp. We’ve just got to stay sharp and use the rest to our advantage.”

After eight straight wins to start the Stanley Cup Playoffs and without an opponent yet, Carolina will focus on its own game this week. The Hurricanes will spend some time working on their power play, which entered Tuesday ranked 11th among playoff teams at 13.5 percent (5-for-37).

“We’re worried about our stuff,” Brind’Amour said. “We can be better in certain areas. We can score more on the power play, we can be more efficient in certain areas. We’re going to have to be as we move on.”

Of course, watching playoff hockey will be on the agenda for many of the players.

"Obviously we're watching the other series to see who we'll play,” forward Mark Jankowski said. “I'm a hockey fan as well. I love watching playoff hockey. It's been a good series over there. We're going to focus on ourselves and get back to practice, and whoever we play, we'll be ready for."

Aho is keeping an eye on the playoffs too.

“I’m not watching from start to finish, but in the background for sure,” he said. “I have an awareness of what is going on around the League, and it’s obviously fun hockey to watch.”

The Hurricanes’ run has been led by goaltender Frederik Andersen, who has a 1.12 goals-against average, .950 save percentage and two shutouts in eight starts in these playoffs. Like his teammates, he has used the time off to start fresh before a new series begins. 

“I thought I was playing good hockey at the end of the regular season,” Andersen said. “(Now), just continue to build and focus one practice at a time until we know who we’re playing and when.”

While the waiting game continues for the players, the coaching staff is shifting its attention toward the next opponent.

“We’re working,” Brind’Amour said. “We’ve got two teams to dial in on, so it’s a little … you overdo it. That’s what we’re here to do.

“(But) you don’t need to invent the wheel. You’ve got to get better at everything you’re doing, so we’re going to focus on that. I don’t think you want to deviate from what you’re doing. We always say (it’s) sharpening the knife. You’ve got to stay razor sharp on what we do well.”