Canes are moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals!

What were you doing at about 1045 last night, or whatever it was, when Jesper Fass scored with, I guess, his pants? I don't know.

Rod Brindamore is the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, and he joins us on the Adam Gold Show. I haven't spoken to you in 25 hours. I know you've missed me. How are you feeling? Are you sure about that? Are you pretty confident? I'm obviously happy about what happened last night, and I'm excited for the next challenge coming up. You enjoy it more, though. As a player, I guess you enjoy the initial burst, but then you have to really be able to maintain that edge. Do you enjoy it along the way as a coach more than you did as a player? I'm trying to, because I know you need to.

Again, I said the older you get, and I'm obviously the oldest guy in that group here, you realize how many more of these you're going to get. Just to be a part of it, it's a long journey, and it's a grind. There's a lot of pretty special moments along the way. When I played, I didn't really take them all in, because like you said, you're just focused on winning the whole thing. It's the whole process of it that you remember. I'm trying to take the moments when they're there, enjoy them, and then refocus and try to create more of them. As a player, you have to maintain that edge, so you enjoy it really quick, and then you have to move on to the next thing.

Because if you get caught up, it can't be productive. You can't keep looking back. In your position, not that you're looking back, but you can just enjoy it. You can just bask in it a little bit more. It's not really looking back.

It's trying to enjoy while it's happening. Last night, when you're in the game, you're in the game. When Ricky gets that goal, I'm watching the players and how they react.

I'm like, this is what it's about. I see the crowd and I'm just trying to remember that, because that's a special moment for that player and the whole group as well. It's a pretty cool night, and then you turn the page and get ready for the next one. I'm sure you will be watching tonight. There's a lot of friends on the ice and even behind the bench, especially with the Florida Panthers. What are your thoughts on that and the potential matchup of the whole Stahl family just moving in? Well, that'll be interesting. That's what ends up happening, because that's a little tricky for Jordan. It's not easy to play against your brothers, right?

That's just a weird thing, especially when it's this important. Obviously, that's how it's looking like it could potentially be, so we'll have to get over it and figure out a way to beat them. Do you think Jordan will have a problem with that? Beating them?

No. I don't think he'll have a problem beating them, but I'd just say it's got to be a little tough for him to have to play. Not only one brother, but basically every time you're on the ice, you're playing against a family member. That's just got to be tough.

Could you imagine being a parent? Well, there's two ways to look at it. You're going to win for sure, one way or another, but you're also going to lose.

That's got to be tough. It's a 500 record either way. We as sports fans, we are always caught up by the star player. In every team sport, we're always caught up by stars. That team is loaded. They've got this guy, this guy, this guy, this guy. Did your team, not that you don't have great players because you do, but did your team show what team is about and how guys that play together can elevate each other?

Yeah, I think so. I think we have great players. It's just that they play like a team, and that's the difference. We're knocking off a team that had great players. I don't know about, maybe they didn't play quite like our great players do. That's the difference, right? I think our guys that are elite could be a little more selfish.

They probably have more points or goals or this and that, but we probably wouldn't be still playing. I think they get it, and that's what makes this game special. That's why I love them. How do you get them to do that? Well, it's not me.

I don't get them to do anything. I just try to have a little influence on things, and then it's up to them to go do it. Obviously, it helps. We talk to Mike, you and I, and you know who I'm going to talk about, number 11. That's our leader in there, and we know how he does it, so that's his mentality. You talk about a guy that's a great player that doesn't get his direct recognition, really, because he doesn't put up these huge numbers, but because he's doing it for the team.

He's happy, and he's fine to be in a kind of role that doesn't warrant him to score a bunch of points so that people talk about him. They talk about the team, because that's what it's all about, and he wants to win, so there it is in a nutshell. He gets the recognition from within his locker room, and there is no doubt about that. When you bring in new guys, and there are a few new guys in the locker room this year that were not there last year, including a Brent Burns, who I know you love, and Paul Stasny, who has one of the overtime series-ending wins for you. When you bring those guys in, how long does it take them to get acclimated to the culture and the style that you guys play and the team-first attitude? Well, firstly, we try to bring in guys that already get it. So, you talk about those guys and Burns, you know, the reputation of being just that, right? So right away, he checks the box. That's our number one important thing, in my opinion.

Yeah, you've got to be able to play, obviously. We wouldn't even be talking about you, but what else can you bring? And he has that mentality that we just talked about, about great players that put the team first. I mean, it's a win-win on that, and obviously, I don't know where we'd be without him, to be quite honest.

He's been phenomenal this year, and the injuries we've had, you know, I mean, we just rely on him that much more. But it's not just about the play. It's the other stuff that I think makes a great team, and hockey's the ultimate team sport. It just is. I mean, hockey and football, I think for me, you know, your best player only plays, you know, 20 minutes, 22 minutes a night.

There's still 40 minutes out there, and then, you know, you've got to rely on everybody. So, you know, that's why I think it's so special when you do finally win, because everybody has to contribute. By the way, when you looked at the video, and I know you've looked at the video of the goal, could we tell what part of Jesper Faust caused the goal? Well, I think I heard you talk about it. It hit, you know, it definitely hit him on the hip-ish.

Hip-ish is what I'll say. So, we'll leave it at that. Somewhere in there, nobody cares, right? No, no, no. Look, I saw Justin Williams score a goal with his face, so as many body parts as we can check off would be great. Look, Jordan Stalin scored plenty of goals with his pants.

Why not? Can you quantify how good Jacob Slavin was last night? I tried to after the game when I got asked, but I don't really think I'm exaggerating. You know, like, I started thinking about it after I said it, because I figured people would say, oh, yeah, right?

And then I started thinking, like, I've been in this game a long time. He's the best defensive player I've ever seen. I mean, Scott Stevens was good, but I put him right up there with Scott Stevens, and, you know, so I don't know who else would be better.

I think I'm pretty accurate. He is a witch with his stick, and the goal, I'm trying to remember, I guess it was the first goal in Game 4 in New Jersey that turned it. The Natures goal toward the end of the first period where he just took the puck from Michael McLeod, who I thought was a great player for New Jersey in that series.

An awesome player. But he just took the puck from McLeod. McLeod didn't even know what happened. Like, where'd it go? Where's the puck?

And then all of a sudden, Martinook had it, and then Natures had it. Give your son Skyler a grade on the overtime siren. Yeah, we talked about that.

It was funny. We gave him average. You know, he gave me his reason. Like he said, they started him way too early. And then, you know, he stopped. And he's a rookie at it.

First time. He didn't know what was going on. And then he realized he had to keep going. So then I gave him props for hanging in there and finishing the deal. He tried hard.

There's no question. Brooks did not want to be there. Well, I think Brooks was just not sure what he was doing. He's been a hype man now twice.

He did it for Jagger Burns was up there, and Brooks was the hype man, and now he did it for his brother. So, pretty cool moment, though. You know, all night was a great night. All right. Go do something else. I'll talk to you very soon, I'm sure, for another month. You got it, buddy. Take care. Have a good day. You too, Rod Brind'Amour. Chevrolet.