Canes vs Islanders: Games 3/Round 1

Jackie Redmond from NHL Network and TNT at Jackie underscore Redmond on Twitter and you can watch NHL Network's Jackie Redmond and co-host NHL Now weekdays four o'clock. I see it every time at the arena. It's on right in front of me. I watch it at home throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. All right, Miss Redmond. Let's let's start with this canes Islander series and then we'll venture off into other parts of the east fair to assess that the canes want the puck and the Islanders want to exact a physical toll at every turn.

I would say that that's somewhat accurate. Yes, you know, I've been really impressed with the Hurricanes and what they've been able to do despite a depleted lineup. It's been really fun to watch and I'm excited for game 3. How far can you go with the lineup?

Another? They couldn't afford another loss to a major player, a top six, a top three player. They had already lost two top six players in patchy ready. It is wild. Like I felt so much for Roddy Brind'emore watching him in that post-game press conference be like the Broken Hand.

He has to get surgery tomorrow. Like I'm very upset about this. Yeah, I feel for canes fans because it's like this team has been knocking on the door of going from like good to great for a long time and it feels like they were on the verge of breaking through. I was in Carolina a few weeks ago and for the game where they beat down the Tampa Bay Lightning and I was really, really impressed with their game. It's always different watching in the arena than watching on TV.

And I really, really liked what I saw. And so I feel for canes fans because it's like really another blow. Like we don't have patch ready. We don't have that.

Now we're without table. We're all over this series through two games. And this team is so good at activating their D and getting their defense in, in, on the offense. And they're going to need even more of that as this, as their post-season run hopefully continue. So that's the key for me is like often from defense, they led the league in goals from defense and during the regular season. And they are absolutely going to need that more than ever now that they're missing table as well.

Jackie Redmond, NHS. Well, network and TNT joining us here. Here's the burns has been great and he was really, you know, the, the defense part of it took a while, but once that got up to speed, I mean, he has been a dominant elite player the last three months of the season. But then we saw Jacob Slavin at offense to his game in game to the shot from a sharp angle that was tipped in by Paul Stasney.

And then the, the mind that said, well, I don't have a path. But I do have Elia Sorokin's mask to score the tying goal. And at that point, Carolina was, was down a goal. That's the other part of Jacob Slavin's game that I think a lot of people don't pay attention to. And that was a huge goal in that game as well.

Like massive. He is such an amazing player, everything that he does defensively. I think people have come around to realize in the last couple of years, but he is an important offensive player as well. And he's really become, I think a core leader on that team.

I think that's a great example that you bring up from game two. So again, it's, it's, to me, it's all about the defense and preference burns. Like he used to be a forward, right? So like when you acquire Brent burn, you're acquiring him for the offense. You're acquiring him to be a part of that and to push the pace and, and, and contribute offensively and be a part of that. What's so impressive about Carolina is, and I think helps an offensive defense and like Brent burns, it's just the structure that rod brings more has implemented and that the forwards have clearly bought into, right? Like you can't play the way the Carolina hurricanes play without buying from your forwards and support for when your D are pushing the pace are getting involved, are going deep into the offensive zone.

Like you can't do that unless the rest of the, the other guys on the ice, the three forwards on the ice are, are supporting you and being there for you when you make those decisions offensively as a defenseman. So for me, it's just the whole structure of the team that is really impressive and why Carolina is up two games in this series, despite missing so many key pieces is that they haven't really strayed from that structure. Jackie Redmond from NHL network is joining us here. I think there's also been a leadership and an influence of Brent burns on guys like Brady Shay on guys like Jalen Chatfield, who has really kind of elevated his game. He won an AHL championship a year ago. He came to training camp this year, guaranteed of nothing has not left the lineup. This year.

He has been that impressive. He doesn't play a ton, but when Jacob Slavin missed six games earlier this season, Chatfield played top line minutes with burns on his offside. And there was no, I'm not saying there was no drop off.

It was minimal. That's how good Chatfield's been. Yeah.

You know, again, and you're not going to keep pumping riding these tires here and I'll pump the core of the team as well. And I think we see it with with teams like Boston, right? That is so famous now for that winning culture that they've created there. I think when you play with the structure that Carolina plays, it's easier to insert someone new or someone less experienced into the lineup because again of the support and the way they play as a five man unit. But that being said, I think it's also about the room that these players are coming into, right? They're coming into, you know, I came back from Carolina a few weeks ago and I said to EJ Raddick, my co-host at NHL network.

I was like, man, I was like, there's something about that hurricane's room. Like they're likable. They seem very, um, very locked in. They like each other, like just the energy around the team. Like when you're in the locker room, when you're interviewing the guys, there's just a very positive energy that comes out of that group. And I think it's a testament to the fact that they are a group and that they seem very cohesive in the way that they operate day to day and in the lead up to a game.

So when you bring in a player like Chatfield, he's coming into a situation that is very positive, is very together. Everyone's on the same page type thing. I know it sounds super cliche, but like the fact of the matter is, is like not all dressing rooms are like that. There are fractured rooms throughout the league. There are, there are rooms that are clicky.

There's rooms where people aren't on the same page. They're not happy with their ice time, et cetera, et cetera. So, um, I think the Carolina hurricanes have that figured out and I think, you know, Rod Brindemore and his staff have done a good job of, of really creating that type of hard work, um, support each other culture within the room as well as on the ice. Oh, there's, there's no question about that.

All right. Now to the Rangers and the Devils, is it fair to say, fair to say that the Rangers have big boyed the Devils through two games? Uh, yeah, I haven't heard it put that way, but I liked that. Um, I think, you know, I think we're seeing the benefit of, of some of those players coming off of a run to the conference final last year. You know, you remember they were up two games, I guess, the Tampa Bay lightning in that series. They went up 2-0, right?

And then look how it ends. I think that was a big learning experience for a lot of the young players, but the stars came out last night, right? Like Laddie Tarasenko has had a very good series through two games.

Patrick Kane went Showtime last night, late in the game. And that's why they brought those guys in. Like the New York Rangers have game breakers in their lineup that has been there before delivered at the most important moments on the highest stage.

And they're already playing a factor. And like, I haven't even gotten to Chris Crider yet. And he's got four power play goals already. The record shockingly in a single post-season is nine. I was baffled to discover that last night, Wayne Gretzky, the most he ever had in a single playoff with five power play goals, which I thought couldn't be right.

I had to look at it four times and be like, am I sure that I'm thinking this bright, but that's, that's the truth. So for the New York Rangers, you know, they have so much star power, but I think they just seem like a team that was ready. And that's not to say the New Jersey doubles weren't ready, but I mean, I think anyone in any facet of life could speak to when you're stepping into something unknown and it's a brand new experience for you. Like you don't know what it takes until you're there. And so I think the first two games, the first game, especially for the devils was kind of an eyeopening moment of, okay, yes, it is different in the playoffs.

I am not going to be able to stick handle through the team. I've got four Rangers on me at the blue line. You know, when I'm trying to enter the zone, I'm talking like I'm Jack Hughes right now to set up the power play.

And that's not, that's not to criticize Jack Hughes at all. He's amazing. He should have the puck. He always has the puck.

That's when he's at his best, but those decisions have to be made a lot faster. And I think for the New Jersey devils, you know, they're just learning really quickly that the playoffs are a whole different beat. And unfortunately for them, the New York Rangers have not only been there for the players that were there last year and one on the deep run, but now they've added championship pedigree guys that are going to step up in the big moments and score goals. And I think the goaltending has been a big difference.

Like the circuit is not an easy guy to score on. They'll have two goals and two games. One was on a penalty shot and the other one on the power play. So if they got to find a way to score, they got to find a way to create more offense. The Rangers have completely taken away their rush game. And I think that's, what's really killed the devils is they haven't got to their game yet. And we're two games into the series. Yeah. They a good thing for the devils.

They're the second best road team in the league behind Boston, but it may not matter because I have to lean on that going into game three, really hype up that fact. I mean, we got to, you got to find the positives and final thing for Jackie Redmond. Look, I, there are two other series. We're only going to have time for one.

So let's get to the psychology. Toronto has, has not won a playoff series in two decades. They lost game one. Was it better for them that they got blown out in game one? Because they certainly bounced back last night. I will say this because both games have been like game one was horrible for, for Toronto and game two was horrible for Tampa. I feel like we've learned nothing about this series to this point. If Hedman can't go throughout the whole series, then to me like Toronto has no excuse. They got, if they have no Hedman Tampa, they give you gotta beat Tampa.

But I will say this. I do actually think in a weird way, the fact that game one went so horrifically for Toronto is maybe a good thing. I would say, I mean, last year they blew out Tampa in game number one.

Right. And it didn't result in them winning the series. I think it was a wake up call. Like, Hey, remember this is hard. You guys have to play your game. You can't be overwhelmed by the moment. And they seemed in that game, especially in the first five minutes, like they were overwhelmed by the moment, even though they've known they, they were going to play Tampa for months now.

So I actually do agree with you on the psychology. I think it is a good thing that they, they kind of got embarrassed in game number one, because it was like a, like a swatch of cold water in your face. Like, Hey, you're here. Remember how awful it feels to not live up to the moment. Let's get it together.

And remember why we're one of the best teams in the regular season, the last four years. So we'll see how it goes though. Tampa, they find ways.

So we'll see. They do this. They're they're like vampire.

You can't kill them. Jackie at Jackie underscore Redmond, NHL network, NHL now weekdays four o'clock, including today and throughout the Stanley cup playoffs. Jackie. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Always a pleasure chatting with you.