All right, now to the matter at hand in New Jersey. Tonight, Game 4. Hurricanes with a 2-1 series lead. We bring in one of the great hurricanes of all time, number 22.
Back in the day, Sean Hill, a defenseman. How are you, my friend? Hey, I'm good. How are you doing?
I'm doing very well. Is it fair that, for whatever reason, Carolina's issues seem to be in the defensive zone on Sunday afternoon? Yeah, I mean, I think it was kind of a perfect storm. But, you know, to give up that many goals with the defense corps that we have and the goaltending that we have is a little bit shocking. But, on the other hand, hopefully we got all of it out in one game and we rebound and have a good showing tonight. Have you been in situations, I'm sure you have, where the team is uncharacteristically, whether it's bad or not, just plays a game that is so far out of their own norm that is, is it easy to get back into what made them successful?
Yeah, I think you might be onto something there. I think you nailed it when you said it was so far from who the Carolina Hurricanes are and what their identity is. It was across the board, which I think is good too.
It wasn't just one or two guys. And, you know, I think that kind of makes it easy for the group to give a collective, you know what, it's over, who cares, throw it away. It doesn't matter whether it was in overtime or we lost by, you know, five, eight, two, whatever. It's over and it's gone and let's just toss it out the window and get back to playing Carolina Hurricanes hockey.
And if they do that, you know, I think we're going to have a great shot. Would you rather lose, we're talking with Sean Hill, Hurricanes legend, would you rather lose a game tight or in overtime or get blown out? Which is easier to move on from? You know, it's hard going through it, but I'd probably rather get blown out. You know, at some point you can back off a little bit.
You can save some energy. I know that's not, you know, anything that would ever enter our coach's mind, but in a way you kind of hope maybe some of the guys at one point in the game just said, you know what, let's just get through it without any injuries and, you know, start focusing on the next one. Let our recovery start a little bit early and just, you know, like we said, throw it out the window and we knew we weren't going to sweep them or at least, you know, the smart money was we weren't going to sweep them and let's get back at it. First thing tonight when that puck drops and really make sure we're ready and, you know, throw all those things out the window that were not Carolina Hurricane hockey and let's get back to being who we are.
Sean Hill is joining us here on the Adam Gold show. Why do you think the first goal seems to be so important? I know Carolina didn't score the first goal in game six against the Islanders and they ended up still winning the game. But for the most part, that's the only game where the first goal didn't decide the winner. Yeah, I don't, you know, I don't know and I think that's one thing when when a game is super low scoring, but these obviously these ones have not been like that, you know, I think that's sometimes a part of the game that it's really hard to instill on young guys that this game might be on the line, you know, a minute and a half into the game. The deciding place that happened before you even get a full sweat going, you know, so I think it's it's huge that they have to be aware of that and ready for it. But it's just kind of strange that the scores of the games, you know, are, you know, a lot of times if you get the first goal that seems to hold true in a game where it's like real close, but I don't know.
I think it's just such a mental battle when you when you get behind, but I don't know. You know, we just have to make sure we have the mindset tonight that no matter what happens, we're going to battle and kick and scratch and claw and, you know, hopefully we're we're going to be coming out on top at get some good goaltending, get back to playing the stingy D that we're known for Sean Hill is joining us here on the Adam Gold show feisty Sebastian Ajo is always my favorite one. What have you seen from now the feisty fin? I you know, I love I love watching him play and I agree with you when he's when he has the pocket guys are taking runs at him and he gives them the you know, the reverse shoulder and that type of thing, you know, and when he's when he's going in on guys and kind of looking like he's not going to hit and also me, you know, explodes and launches into their chest and I love watching him when he plays like that and that seems to really kind of make him turn into a you know, a another level of player when he does that because it just seems to open up as his offensive capabilities a little bit more and you know, I think I think nowadays if you can add that extra element, which he does on a lot of nights. I think that can be a separator from somebody who's just a really good skill player when you add that, you know, I think it takes it to another another level and and Jack use was kind of the same way last game with, you know, the battle he had with Ajo. He kind of drug his teammates into the fight, you know, and I think collectively they probably looked at him and said, hey, if Jack's going to play physical, so are we, you know, so I think that's, you know, obviously going to be important for our guys tonight and I love the last game at home when, you know, Ben Burns was was laying the body of their fast was was tossing guys around. It was great to see other guys were feeding off it and that was a side. I hadn't really seen out of our guys that as far as kind of physicality across the board. And I think if we can come out tonight and play with a little bit of that that attitude a little bit of that anger. I think that will go a long ways and in deciding how that game is going to go tonight.
It's almost as you were talking about fast and Burns. All I could really see was Jordan Martin look at this point. Is he what embodies this team? Yeah, I think you know with his his effort level and his engagements, you know in the game.
I think he is a guy when you know, he's if we can put that that type of tenacity and that type of intensity into all of our guys. That's that's a tough team to beat. You know, that's just team team toughness. It's not you know, it's not fighting.
We don't need to be fighting. We know that but if we didn't get guys finishing like that bringing that type of intensity and involvement in all zones and that attitude. I think you know, that's going to make us a really hard team to beat and you know, if we can get that effort, you know from everybody that we're going to be a hell of a tough out which I think we're going to be Stephen Nason dropping the gloves with Eric Hall. He said after the game that that was really out of frustration seemed to me like he just retaliated for a hit on Seth Jarvis, but it is is what it is.
We don't see a lot of fights from the Hurricanes. Right and then I don't you know, I don't think we need to in today's game, you know rarely it's needed but it was it was great to see him step up, you know, I love watching him plays. He's really surprised me with I knew he could score goals in front of the net on the power play, but I really enjoy some of the plays he's made from know when he receives a puck below the goal and one side of the net and can and sauce it back across to the other post and really showing a high level of skill that that I didn't didn't know we had I knew I knew he was good with puck as far as scoring around the net, but I didn't know he had the hands to make the the soft touch passes and soft plays around the net. I've been really impressed with that as with his game and also like the physicality.
He's he's one guy who's going to he's going to make you think about him coming into the zone on the for check a lot and you know, just a good guy to have no question final question for Sean Hill and I appreciate your time as somebody who has killed penalties before. How would you describe Carolina's penalty kill? Their penalty kills great.
It's definitely different from from the way we did it. It's it's obviously Roddy has got a unbelievable knack for for developing, you know, the the game plan and and how we kill penalties and and, you know, I think it's just impressive the way the way the game plan and and how we kill penalties and and you know, I think it's just impressive the way the way that the guys work together and and you know, everybody's willing to eat pucks. Everyone's blocking shots.
Everyone's laying down clear in the front. I think it's a huge deal. Obviously, I'd rather have a stay out of the box and get our power play going instead of being in the box, but it's when you're playing on the edge and when you're playing on the edge. At this time of the year, you're bound to undertake penalties. But, you know, hopefully we'll be on the on the other side of it tonight and get this series coming back to Raleigh with a good lead.
Yeah, by the way, I lied. Let me ask you one quick question because five years ago yesterday rod became the head coach. Your thoughts on your former teammate and how he has obviously he obviously he has done well, but why is he doing well?
You know, in my eyes, what do I know? But for me, Roddy is the best coach in the world. And I say that with having seen him, seen him do it, seen him play, seen how he plays and how he brought his game into coaching. You know, he's such a good guy and he's so so passionate about what he's doing. He's done everything in the game.
He's he fought enough to be able to know kind of what happens with that. He's, you know, he's skilled enough that he can, if it's a flow game and there's, there's no grind going on, he could be the guy deciding it with a goal. You know, he's willing to do anything to keep it out of our net blocking a shot, whatever it is. He's done every side of the game. There's no doubt about it.
He's never done it. You know, he's done absolutely everything that you could. Um, and the guys, they look at that and they respect them for it. And I think the best thing about him is he knows, he knows how to read a player. He knows if he can kick a guy in the ass hard, or if he has a good, you know, go over and build him up and, and, you know, give him a good shot.
A verbal hug and, and get them going on the right track that way. So, um, just everything about rod, Brenda Moore makes fraud, Brenda Moore, for me, the best coach there is. And he's just, he's rod, Brenda Moore. That's why he is the best. Everything that embodies, you know, he embodies as a person translates into coaching and, um, we're just so lucky to have them. And I just, I just keep hoping and praying that this could be the year because the guy deserves it so much. And so does our fan base and it'd just be so much fun to see it happen. Uh, I'm a huge fan and, um, just hope it happens this year. Really, really pulling for him.
Sean Hill, uh, who, if I didn't know better, I would say is rod, Brenda Moore's agent, but that's great. Uh, you've, you've said a lot of things that I say all the time about him. I appreciate your time. Uh, love to run into you at game five, sir. Take care. Sounds good, though. We appreciate it. You got it. Sean Hill here on the Adam Gold show.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-05-09 18:19:40 / 2023-05-09 18:25:59 / 6
