Necas' Spectacular Start Built By Confidence

RALEIGH, N.C. - On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the Carolina Hurricanes trailed 2-0 after two periods against the Edmonton Oilers.

It was early in the season - and it still is - but sitting at 2-2-0 in the standings, the team reached one of its first crossroads of 2024-25 at Rogers Place that night.

Rod Brind'Amour, as he's done so frequently throughout his tenure at the helm, decided to shuffle his forward lines after his group was unable to beat Stuart Skinner with their first 22 shots.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas had played together to that point in the campaign but with Jack Roslovic to their left. In search of offense, Roslovic was bumped to play alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, a place where he'd then rattle off seven goals in his next seven games - a story within itself.

The void left by Roslovic was filled by a fellow newcomer, Eric Robinson, who had been skating alongside Jack Drury and Jackson Blake.

When that third period began in Edmonton, so did two of the most important runs in the team's season to date.

After Shayne Gostisbehere got the group on the board, Necas and Robinson created a give-and-go connection to tie the game. Forcing overtime, Necas later set up Sebastian Aho for the game-winner.

It was the first of eight wins in a row for the team and the first of 13 consecutive games in which Necas has recorded a point.

Now 13-4-0 on the season, the team has gone 11-2 dating back to that chilly Tuesday night in Edmonton, and they have Necas and his league-leading 27 points in that span to thank for a lot of that success.

"He's certainly driving the ship for us, there's no doubt about it. Pretty much on a nightly basis," Rod Brind'Amour said following Sunday's victory at Lenovo Center, which included #88's second four-point night of the season. "It's very, very good to see."

Naturally, the question is what's changed? What's allowing Necas to play at this level of stardom that's now generating league-wide recognition?

"I think it's his decisions with the puck. That's what's really driving (his production)," Brind'Amour answered. "He seems to be finding open ice, getting the puck, and making really good decisions with it for the most part. That's clear, obviously, by the stats that he's been throwing up there and the opportunities he's been getting."

What does Necas attribute the success to?

For a player who had no shortage of question marks surrounding him this offseason, he believes that's actually where things began snowballing forward for him. Winning a gold medal with Czechia at the IIHF World Championship in May, things have continued to trend in a positive direction for him since.

"I put up a great summer. I've been feeling good, feeling confident," Necas said after the team returned home from its State Fair road trip. "The whole team is playing good. It's always easier for individuals to do good when the team's doing good."

Never shy to speak on his belief that the game of hockey is just as much mental as it is physical, confidence has undeniably been one of the key factors for Carolina's first-round pick in 2017.

"I was confident before the season, but obviously having a start like this helps. It gives you feedback that you did do good work during the summer," Necas continued. "Our whole team was dialed in before the season. To start like this, it's great for us."

Third among all NHL skaters in scoring with 30 points entering Tuesday's action, Necas' self-belief appears to be at an all-time high.

"Obviously when things are going your way, you're in the zone. That's what I'm feeling," he shared. "I'm trying to get there and stay there as long as I can. We've talked about confidence and you try to bring it each night. It's not about just one guy, obviously. We're outplaying teams at five-on-five and that's huge."

While confidence is the buzzword surrounding Necas' game, communication is the one tied to the success of his line with Kotkaniemi and Robinson.

"We know our role(s) on the line. We try to talk after every shift and we've played together for (almost) 15 games," Necas explained of the chemistry. "I feel like every game we're getting better. It's been really fun with those two because they've played really, really good."

On Robinson specifically, who has already surpassed both his goal and point totals from last year, Necas thinks their game is meshing well together because of the newcomer's pace.

"He's just so fast and he creates space for me to play with the puck. He can score and he can do it all," the Czech forward reviewed on Sunday. "You saw his dangles today on my first goal. He's been a really good piece for us, not just on the ice, but in the locker room. He's a great guy and we love to have him."

The NHL season is a marathon, not a sprint - Necas knows it, the Hurricanes know it, and their head coach certainly knows it. But after some up-and-down years of production, the 25-year-old is enjoying the moment and eager to capitalize on the opportunity ahead.

“Obviously it feels better than what I’ve been used to," said Necas. "But I was always confident in myself and having a great team and great linemates (with whom) we can figure out the way we play and build some chemistry has been great. It’s always fun to play this way.”

Necas and the Canes will look to keep having fun as they navigate a trio of divisional road contests this week, starting on Wednesday in Philadelphia.