The two teams start their best-of-7 series for the right to advance to the Stanley Cup Final at PNC Arena on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS).
To say it is a tense time in the Staal family would be an understatement.
Marc, a defenseman, said some messages were sent on Wednesday to the text group the brothers use, which also includes Jared Staal, who is an assistant coach for Charlotte, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Panthers.
"No, no," said Eric, laughing. "You understand [Jordan], you understand his team's game because you communicate regularly all during the regular season. So now, as far as best- and worst-case scenario, here we are.
"This is what you play for, this is why we train, this is why we compete in playing the game. That is not just the three of us. That's every guy in our room and every guy in both dressing rooms. You got to enjoy it. You have to embrace it. I'm just looking forward to the challenge. It is going to be as competitive as ever and we are looking forward to it."
Eric, 38, won the Stanley Cup when the forward was with the Hurricanes in 2006. Jordan, a 34-year-old forward who is Carolina captain, won the Cup three years later as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc, 36, has never won the Cup.
At least one Staal, and maybe two, will have a chance to play for the Cup when this series ends, but the road there is not going to be easy.
It is the first time since the 1992 Division Semifinals between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues that three siblings -- Brent (Chicago), Rich and Ron Sutter (St. Louis) -- played against each other.
The Staals, like the Sutters, are highly competitive, but also part of a tight-knit family. The brothers came of age battling it out in 2-on-2 games in the backyard rink on their farm in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
"We played every day, competed every day, Eric said. "That outdoor rink was hugely important in us finding love and joy in the game. We weren't out there to be sitting in this moment but being out there probably put us in this moment.
"We definitely had some moments where the sticks went flying and there was some stitches and some fights and mom had to tell everyone enough and send us to our rooms. But that's part of it and we always figured it out afterward."
Their father, Henry, who built the rink, and their mom, Linda, who made sure the games on the rink did not get out of hand, won't be in attendance.
Marc says it is too hard for them.
"You know, they're going to be hiding in their basement, probably watching with like one eye open," he said. "I mean, it's tough for them. Obviously, they want to cheer for us all year long and now one of us is going to be very disappointed at the end of this or two of us. I think it's tough to watch. They want us to do well."
The brothers want each other to do well, too. But they understand it will be at the expense of other members of the family.
They have been through it before. Jordan (Penguins) played Eric (Hurricanes) in the 2009 Eastern Conference Final with the Penguins emerging victorious. In 2020, Jordan (Hurricanes) played Marc (New York Rangers) in the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers. Again, it was Jordan's team which emerged victorious.
He hopes to secure the hat trick of family wins across the next two weeks.
"It's not easy," he said. "Obviously, I wanted to be on the right side of that, so it is what it is. It's never easy ending a brother's season, but someone's got to win. I want to be the one on the other side of it, so I'm going to do everything I can.
"If I'm on the other side of it, it is what it is. But it's part of playoff hockey. Someone's got to win and somebody's got to lose."
