"It's a huge accomplishment. We grinded all year," Rod Brind'Amour began post-game Thursday. "There's bigger and better things we want to accomplish, but you have to get there first and to get there with 11 games to go says a lot about the group."
Although he's preached a "one day at a time" mentality all season long, the team's head coach allowed himself to be a bit retrospective after the final horn of a
5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres
, looking back on the bigger picture and what he set out to do when he took over behind the bench in 2018.
"That's what we've wanted to accomplish since we set out on this four years ago. It wasn't just to have a good team here and there, it was to be good for a long time," he reflected. "We wanted to give this area a team to be proud of. That's really what it is."
Now with a cumulative record of 166-83-28 and guiding his club to four straight trips to the playoffs, a new best for the club since relocating to North Carolina, it feels safe to say Brind'Amour has done his part in giving the area, the state and the fan base as a whole something to take pride in.
"I can remember when we got in four years ago, it felt awesome. But now we're just kind of expected to do it and that's a huge shift in how I think we all perceive us. That's something to be proud of," the reigning Jack Adams Award winner continued fondly.
But perhaps what makes Brind'Amour's allure even greater is that there's only a certain amount of satisfaction that comes with just getting into the playoffs now. The goal is for more.
All season long we've heard players, coaches and management alike share the common goal of winning the Stanley Cup. The team has had some success in post-season play over the last three years, but from the very first day of training camp, despite the significant turnover of the roster, the goal has been to be the last team standing.
It's why free agents like Ian Cole elected to come play in Carolina, instead of signing a longer-term deal elsewhere.
It's why the team went out and bolstered their lineup with the acquisition of Max Domi, despite already being in first place with the playoffs just about guaranteed.
It's why the overall culture of the locker room, led by Jordan Staal, remains unsatisfied with just getting into the playoffs.
"We've talked all year about how our goal is to win the Stanley Cup and now it's within sight," Cole remarked. "There's still a very long road ahead, but the goal is in sight. That should just build excitement."
Having reached the pinnacle of the sport as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, the veteran defenseman knows what it takes for a team to win it all and is attempting to do his part in helping everyone stay hungry until the ultimate goal is achieved.
"Yes, it's been a long year, but we have a chance to do something really freaking special here and that's an opportunity that I think every single player in that locker room wants to take advantage of," he passionately continued.
Now, with 11 regular-season games left to go, the group remains dialed in on what's left to accomplish before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on May 2.
There's still a Metropolitan Division title left to play for, home-ice advantage and a potential Presidents' Trophy.
"We're very happy to be where we are at. We can always work on getting better, but the main thing is that we have to be playing our best hockey going into playoffs," the team Captain offered. "We have to stay sharp and be ready every day. Every game we have to be playing the way we want to play."
After all, nothing is a given just yet. Although they're the third team in the NHL to lock up a playoff berth, the New York Rangers are just two points behind them for first place.
Along the same lines, the Canes trail the Colorado Avalanche by just six points for the top spot in the NHL. Either scenario can be changed very quickly.
"It's important for us to just keep playing well," the head coach continued. "We have to keep focusing on getting better every day. Our guys have competed hard all year long, but it's about staying focused, not picking up any bad habits and keeping the pedal to the floor."
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