Q&A: Cousins relishing second-line opportunity in playoffs

TORONTO --Nick Cousins is enjoying the ride.

Since being bumped up to the second line in Game 5 of the first-round series against Boston, the gritty forward has recorded three points while the Panthers have won four straight games.

Helping the Panthers get off to a great start in Round 2 against Toronto on Tuesday, Cousins cashed in on a rebound to break the ice in the first period of an eventual 4-2 victory in Game 1.

Over the 49:28 of ice time that Cousins has spent on the second line with Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett at 5-on-5 in the playoffs, the Panthers have controlled 63.57% of expected goals.

Additionally, Cousins promotion has also allowed Eetu Luostarinen to slide down to the third line to play alongside Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart. With these changes, the Panthers have found greater success in all areas of the ice as their depth has been bolstered.

"Lots of energy," Tkachuk said when asked about Cousins. "He's on the puck. He creates turnovers. He gets the puck in good spots. He has really good knack for making those little plays. We seem to have the puck a lot as a line. I've really enjoyed these games with him."

Following Wednesday's practice in between Games 1 and 2 at Scotiabank Arena, I had a chance to catch up with Cousins to talk about his latest opportunity, his big goal in Game 1 and more.

OLIVE: Take me back to Game 5 in Boston. What was going through your mind when checked out the lineup and saw that you'd be lining up alongside Bennett and Tkachuk that night?

COUSINS: It was obviously a really exciting opportunity. Those two guys are incredibly skilled players and see the ice really well. They're driving our team right now. Obviously Chucky, with what he's done, has taken his game to another level in the playoffs. I'm just enjoying every minute of it and trying to take advantage of the opportunity.

OLIVE: How important was it for your line to set the tone in Game 1?

COUSINS:Yeah, those two guys like to get in on the forecheck and throw the body. It's fun. It's nice to start the game like that and kind of set the tone for the rest of the team. I thought early on after those power plays that Toronto had, I thought we had a lot of good offensive zone time in their end and kind of got the ball turning our way. Getting one there early was huge. It's been nice to take advantage of the opportunity, but I just have to make sure I keep playing my game.

OLIVE: Tkachuk, in particular, was playing like a man possessed from the moment the puck dropped against the Maple Leafs. When you look back at some of the great players that you've played with throughout your nine seasons in the NHL, what makes him different from the rest?

COUSINS: He's actually probably one of my favorite teammates I've ever played with. He just has that leadership to him. He's just born with it. Some guys have it, some guys don't, and he certainly has it. He's not afraid to step up in the locker room and say something when he has to, but he does his leading by example on the ice. I didn't really know much about him before I came here, but in getting to know him I really appreciate the kind of person he is and how he treats everybody on a day-to-day basis. It's something that I can learn from as well.

OLIVE:As someone from Ontario, how special was it to score a playoff goal in Toronto?

COUSINS: I grew up two hours from here. I had a lot of friends and family watching back home. Nice to get that one out of the way. Obviously a big start for our team. That first goal on the road kind of lets everybody settle in. A big goal at the time. Just trying to keep it going here.

OLIVE: After your goal, fans saw the whole bench do the hand-to-ear celebration that we've seen you do a couple of times already this season. What's the story behind that?

COUSINS:[Laughs]. It's funny. I started doing it in practice a little bit. I think I first did it against Toronto at home [earlier this season] and the boys were absolutely howling. I remember Monty scored and then he started doing it. Every time we're on the ice we kind of do it. It's kind of cheesy, but the boys get a good laugh out of it. We'll see if it keeps going.

OLIVE: We saw after Game 1 that you got the game puck. What was that moment like?

COUSINS:That was a cool moment. Obviously the boys appreciate that I've been able to step up in that role. With Lombo going down, he's a huge part of our team. It's an opportunity for a guy like myself that's kind of been waiting for one. A really cool moment. I've been happy to step up. It really could've gone to any of the guys that played. A really cool moment, for sure.

OLIVE: Did you feel more pressure during the game or being put on the spot to give a post-game speech?

COUSINS:Yeah, I'm not really a big speech guy [laughs]. Even with the lineup card reads that I've been getting here, I'll keep that going all day because we've won four in a row now here. I'll keep that going as long as I can.

OLIVE: Do you put any preparation into those lineup card reads?

COUSINS: Honestly, I just try and say the same thing. It's almost superstitious at this point. It's working, so I just try and say the same thing every time even if it's starting to get repetitive.

OLIVE: You and I talked in the beginning of the year about how you shook off a few early-season scratches before finding your role with the team. Reflecting on that, how crazy is it to now be playing on the second line in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

COUSINS:Ever since those scratches that I had, I think it was three in row there, it just motivated me to prove them wrong. Ever since then I've just had a little chip on my shoulder. I'm just playing with a lot of confidence right now. When the puck's going in and we're generating a ton of offense and getting a ton of time in the offensive zone, it creates confidence throughout the game. I feel really good about my game right now and I just want to keep going and ride this confidence that I have and help out the boys any way that I can. This is the best time of the year. The team's playing well and everybody's playing for each other. This all has been a lot of fun.

OLIVE: Like Brandon Montour said after the win in Game 1 at Toronto, there's still a lot of games ahead for you guys. But after coming back to upset the Bruins and then riding that momentum into a big win last night, what's the confidence level like right now in the room?

COUSINS:That series against Boston was a grind. It was a seven-game series. It took a lot out of us mentally, but at the same time it was kind of nice to just get back into it and kind of keep that confidence train rolling right into Toronto. We only had one day of rest, but it's been good. We've got to keep it rolling. We know they're gong to be better tomorrow. We've got to be ready.