:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69249899/vCHI_PetrPostCHIGoal_kg.0.jpg)
The Canes got a point in the standings thanks to 25 saves from Petr Mrazek and a shorthanded goal from Martin Necas, but fell 2-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime in their final home game of the regular season Thursday night.
Mrazek, Necas and Rod Brind’Amour spoke to the media following the loss, here’s a full breakdown of everything they had to say:
Rod Brind’Amour
On if he wasn’t pleased with the game: Yeah.
On Petr Mrazek’s play: Best player, for sure. Well that’s easy, actually. But yeah, he was great.
On if he’s comfortable with where Mrazek is after two games back: He looked good tonight. If we get that kind of performance, he kept us in a game that we had no business being in. As long as he feels good and dusted off the rust, I think he looks like he’s ready to go.
On getting nine out of 10 points in the homestand: I appreciate that thought, because I probably need that right about now. The big picture, yes. But tonight, you talk about the process, about doing it right, was crap. So that’s frustrating, but I get it. But it’s not now we want it to look.
On what he’s most disappointed in: The end was actually fine. It was the first two periods, giving up breakaways, two-on-ones, breakaways, no coverage. Just sloppy all over. Trading chances. Of course they were going for it, and we were happy to give them one to get one. That doesn’t work.
On a game like that being a bit of a wakeup call: 100%, totally. We needed to get our butts kicked, to be quite honest with you. Just so we can show, this is not how it works. And I say that, and we still probably had maybe close to the same amount of good scoring opportunities, but it’s not good enough. We can’t play like that next week, that’s for sure. I get it. It’s tough. The guys have done a great job all year to get us in this position, but if we do it how we always talk about and just worry about today, that was not a good game.
On if this could work in the team’s favor: It better. That’s how we’re going to look at it. You’ve got to learn from it. The best way is when you play like that, to not win a game. To get it handed to you. Yeah, we got a point of it, great, but we got beat tonight, for sure. So we’re going to come back tomorrow, look at it and figure a way to get better, but it has to be a learning experience, for sure.
On Riley Stillman’s first NHL goal: I’m happy for him to be in the NHL and living his dream. That’s great. I didn’t need to see it tonight, but I am happy for him.
Martin Necas
On getting his game back: It’s been better. Of course scoring a couple of goals helps you get going a little bit. It was way better, but today we just weren’t good enough. We gave up so many chances against and that can’t happen.
On Petr Mrazek’s play: He made some big saves. We didn’t help him enough though. We gave up too many Grade-As. Like I said, we have to figure it out in the last two games. There’s no chance we can play like that in the playoffs.
On how big the final games against Nashville could be as they may be a first round opponent: We just have to play it like any other game. Play our game the same way. We want to like always give 100% which we didn’t today. We’ll talk about it a little tomorrow and get better there. It can’t happen again.
On killing penalties: Of course it helps. Even if you’re only out there for a little bit, you get on the ice and get the momentum of the game. Sometimes you get chances as well. For sure it helps me. I like to play PK.
On if he knew Duncan Keith was injured before his goal: I didn’t even know. Guys told me in the locker room afterwards. I didn’t see what happened there. If the ref hit him or what. I didn’t see it.
On if it’s more or less frustrating to run into a hot goaltender: Yes and no. We had some chances, but we gave up way more. I don’t even know how many breakways they had. And 2-on-1s. Just can’t happen. We had some chances, but they had way more. We were lucky today that we got the one point.
Petr Mrazek
On if there’s a bit of a positive takeaway for him personally getting to face a lot of high-quality chances after being away with injury: I would be lying to you if I said it was great. Sometimes games like that happen and today was the one.
On if it’s challenging for goaltenders returning from long absences: It was a long two months break for me with the hand injury and then I came back, had some small problem in the lower body, but I don’t think that was hard to comeback from. I was skating after a few days so I didn’t have much of a break there.
On if he feels ready for the postseason: Yeah. I think we all feel ready to go. We’re excited for it and we just have to get through two more games. We just have to battle hard and get the confidence on the track for the playoffs.