They said it: Brind’Amour, Trocheck, Svechnikov on a disappointing loss

The Carolina Hurricanes ended up splitting the opening series with the Detroit Red Wings as they lost 4-2 Saturday night. Missing captain Jordan Staal and coming out with a slow start all but sealed the fate for Carolina.

Rod Brind’Amour, Vincent Trocheck and Andrei Svechnikov spoke to the media via Zoom following the loss.

Rod Brind’Amour

On his impressions of the game: It wasn’t good, obviously. I didn’t like the start. I didn’t like the first two periods. We played alright in the third period - we got some compete, but for me, the game was already determined because we gave away 40 minutes. You can’t do that in this league. Give the other team credit, because they worked hard for 60 minutes and we didn’t.

On why the team started so slow: I’m not sure. You don’t want to make excuses, but I think yesterday hurt us. We just kinda sat around and we needed to do something a little more. Sitting in the hotel and not getting around - I don’t want to say that’s part of why we started slow, but I feel like we have to do a better job of figuring that out. I think you lose one against one team, you are a little hungrier for the next one but it’s the NHL. You have to be ready every night. It’s not that we didn’t work hard, we were just all of a sudden trying to make finesse plays all over the ice. I didn’t know what I was watching for two periods. That was really frustrating for me.

On how Petr Mrazek kept them in the game: I don’t think we gave up that many breakaways all year that we gave up in this one game. The power play, everything. Like I said, I just didn’t know what I was watching out there at times. That’s what happens in this league. If everyone’s just a little off, it can look like that. The other team was going good, you have to give them all credit. They were going from start to finish. We can’t give teams that much room. We have to respect every shift and I don’t think we did that tonight.

On the controversial slashing call on Brady Skjei: It’s funny, I couldn’t see it from where I was standing. And then the camera on our bench wasn’t working so I never even got to look at it, but everyone was saying it was a bad call. I don’t know. I didn’t get to see it, but I just heard that it was (a bad call). I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s probably a good thing that I didn’t, then.

On how the absence of Jordan Staal hurt the team: That’s what it looks like when he’s out of our lineup and we gotta figure it out. It’s a huge loss and we need guys to step up when someone like that is out. We have in the past. He’s a very very valuable player for us.

On Andrei Svehcnikov’s slow start and big third period: We were just trying to find some traction and he took it on himself to get it going. He knew he wasn’t playing great, and then he led the way in the third. Him and our young guys - Necas had a good third period, Aho was good too. It’s no different than any team in the league. You have to have everyone going or you’re gonna have it tough.

Andrei Svechnikov

On the slow start: It’s all about mindset and it was a tough start for us. We came out here not ready at all. Especially me. I wasn’t ready since the first minutes. I have to be ready to play. I have to play better at the start of the game. We were feeling it in the third period, but we have to be ready from the first minute.

On a reason for being unprepared: It’s probably beginning of the season things, being the second game, but we have to be better. We have to prepare better, have a good warmup and we are going to do that next game for sure.

On the team that loses the first game having more jump for the second: We had a meeting after the first game and Roddy said it’s all about competing. He’s right. It was a little bit tough today and those things matter. We have to outwork those guys and compete more.

On being without Jordan Staal: He’s our captain. We miss him a lot. Hopefully he’ll get better soon and we’ll see him again.

Vincent Trocheck

On the slow start: The ice was bad for both teams, so you can’t make that an excuse. Preparation is all mental. It’s on each and every one of us individually to prepare for each game. It’s the NHL, it’s pro-hockey. You have to be ready to come every night and we weren’t tonight. I don’t think there was any particular reason we didn’t bring it.

On struggling in the faceoff circle early: They switched it up a little bit tonight. They did their homework. We were going against different guys then we were last night, different matchups. Faceoffs are an art. It’s just a matter of learning who you’re going against and it took a little bit tonight.

On takeaways from the game: It’s just a competitive thing. If we compete on a night to night basis like we did in game one we have a chance every night and tonight we just didn’t bring that compete level. They outworked us and wanted it more. The end result showed that.

On the Red Wings being a better team than people think: They definitely have a lot of speed. They played fast and wired hard. It’s the NHL, every team is a good team, it’s just a matter of any given night, who wants it more and tonight they did.

On getting on the scoresheet early into the season: It was nice for our power play to get on the board. I think we were working well in the first game. It’s just a matter of getting to the net. For me personally, it doesn’t mean a lot to me when we lose, but it’s nice for our power play to have a little bit of confidence.