Playoff Notebook: Pesce Returns To Practice

RALEIGH, NC. - Following a day of rest and recovery, the Carolina Hurricanes returned to practice on Wednesday, refining their game ahead of another do-or-die contest.

Showing the same personnel that earned a victory in Game 5 on Monday in New York, the team did have one extra among the mix though - a returning Brett Pesce.

For the first time since suffering a lower-body injury in Round 1, Game 2, the Canes defenseman skated with his teammates, a step toward potentially getting back in the lineup.

Rod Brind'Amour said that the defenseman's status remains unchanged from not expecting to have him available in this round, however, when the head coach was asked if he'd consider putting Pesce back in this series if the defenseman said he was good to go, he said he'd consider it.

"Definitely. You could. I'm not sure you would, but you definitely could," the bench boss answered.

Pesce skated on the team's fourth defensive pair today with Dylan Coghlan, as Brady Skjei and Tony DeAngelo continued working together.

Keep It Consistent & Keep Building...

The mood of the team at and following practice certainly looked like a group that has added some confidence to their preexisting belief over the past few days, but when the microphones came out, the messaging remained consistent.

Understanding that their backs are still against the wall, the team is hoping to continue adding to what made them successful in Games 4 & 5.

"They're trying to close it out and we're fighting for our lives. It's two teams who are trying to win a hockey game," Jordan Martinook offered when asked to set the scene for Game 6. "We need to bring what we brought last game and bring even a little more."

With the teams now having met five times in the last 10 days there's little left to surprise at this point. Carolina has had plenty of material to learn from, both what to do, and what not to do.

"You never block out the successful stuff and you never block out the bad stuff. You've got to learn from it and make sure you don't repeat it," Brind'Amour answered when asked about his team having the momentum. "As boring as it is, you've got to win one game again and that's all we're focused on."

Always quick to defend his players' effort, the head coach believes that if his team has the same jump tomorrow night, they'll be in a position to make themselves successful once more.

"You can't ask for guys to give more than they're giving. You can't ask for the goalie to stop more pucks," Brind'Amour continued. "They're going to go and do their best and that's all that we've always asked our guys. I'm sure we'll get that."

Staying Disciplined...

When identifying the biggest differences between the losses in Games 1-3 and the wins in Games 4 & 5, it's easy to pinpoint Carolina's penalty kill.

Allowing multiple power play goals to the Rangers in both of the first two games to start the series, the Rangers had 13 opportunities on the power play in their three victories.

The only teams with more chances on the man advantage through the first three contests in Round 2? The Canes and Panthers (15). Carolina's man advantage is a whole different story though.

Tim Gleason's penalty kill has made some tweaks since the first trip to the Big Apple, going 8-for-8 on the PK in Games 3-5.

"I don't think we were playing poorly in the first three games, it was just some special teams stuff (that needed to be cleaned up) and maybe one play here or there where we weren't 100% dialed in," Martinook assessed. "I think we were comfortable with the way we were playing, it was just that we needed to get better at a couple of different things and (we needed) to have that desperation. Obviously, you need it when you're down 3-0."

Of course, the best thing the team can do for themselves is stay out of the box as a whole.

"Well, we've taken less penalties, which helps," Martinook laughed. "You're not giving them as many chances to see what they're doing. As the series goes on you can pick up on things that they do and I think we've done a good job adjusting. We're going to need to keep that disciplined mindset moving forward."

The Canes will try to exercise their best discipline at 7 p.m. on Thursday night when the puck goes down for Game 6 at PNC Arena.  Tickets are on sale now here, but if you can't make it, the game will be broadcast nationally on TNT, Max, and TruTV in the United States.

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