For the Carolina Hurricanes, the obstacles appear to be many.
History. Home ice. Seedings. The series trend. A future Hall of Famer in the opposing net.
But none of that matters to the Hurricanes. Just idle chatter. They will go into Game 7 of their Stanley Cup playoff series with the New Jersey Devils tonight with only victory on their minds.
"At full throttle," captain Rod Brind'Amour said Monday.
The Hurricanes franchise has never won Game 7 of a playoff series on the road, going 0-for-3. The Devils, seeded third in the Eastern Conference, have the home-ice advantage for the seventh game of this quarterfinal series.
While the Canes were impressive in a 4-0 win Sunday night in Game 6 -- beating the Devils to the puck, beating them up and down the ice -- neither team has been able to win two straight in the series. If that trend continues, it's New Jersey's turn.
Reminded of all that Monday before the team's charter flight, Canes coach Paul Maurice smiled.
"Save the gas money, we're not even going," he joked.
"I think there's a completely different mentality in a Game 7," he said in a more serious tone. "Both teams bring that excitement that we had [Sunday] night. At the end of the day, all the best players will show up and decide this."
The stars can vary in the first six games of a Stanley Cup series. Canes defenseman Tim Gleason won Game 2 in overtime with his first goal of the season. The Devils' David Clarkson won Game 5 with a power-play deflection.
Zach Parise, a 45-goal scorer for the Devils this year, was a handful in scoring goals in each of the first three games. The Canes' Eric Staal and veteran Ray Whitney were the show-stoppers in Game 6 -- Staal with two goals and an assist, Whitney with the first four-point playoff game of his career.
"Ray's an unusual guy," Maurice said. "He's not at the start of his career anymore. He's made enough money in his career that it's not the push for him -- the next contract. For Ray, it's as simple and as pure as it gets. It's winning. He appreciates the biggest games. He lives for them."
And it is in Game 7 that heroes are made.
Certainly Martin Brodeur and Cam Ward are capable of being that. Brodeur, the winningest goaltender in NHL history, might steal another game as he did in Game 5 with his 44 saves in a 1-0 win. Or Ward, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP in the Canes' 2006 run to the Stanley Cup, could follow up his 4-0 shutout in Game 6 with another stellar performance.
In 2006, the Hurricanes won Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Buffalo Sabres and then Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Edmonton Oilers -- both at the RBC Center as the Canes had the home-ice edge in the playoffs.
Brind'Amour had the game-winner against the Sabres. But in the biggest game in franchise history, defenseman Frantisek Kaberle had the winning goal in the 3-1 Cup-clinching victory.
"It's exciting to be in this position again," Kaberle said Monday. "I think we have a lot of experienced guys on the team, and hopefully we're going to win.
"I think now the chances are 50-50. It's going to be a tough game. I think we're going to play with a lot of confidence and we're going to show them right from the start we are ready to play."
While players and coaches always harp on the importance of scoring the first goal, it could be a big factor tonight given the goaltenders and the setting. Devils fans will be waiting to explode, looking to rattle the Canes, but there's more to it than that.
"Against New Jersey, it's an advantage if you score first," Kaberle said. "They're a very patient team, but they have to open up a little bit more [when trailing]."
The Canes grabbed a 1-0 lead in Game 6 when Whitney batted the puck out of the air and past Brodeur. The pace quickened, and Carolina twice beat the Devils on rushes that ended with Whitney setting up Staal for goals to go up 3-0 in the second period.
Maurice said winger Sergei Samsonov, who returned to the lineup Sunday after sitting out Game 5 with a lower-body injury, got through the game fine physically. Maurice said he does not anticipate making any lineup or line changes for tonight's game.
As for the Devils, they had captain Jamie Langenbrunner (lower-body injury) back for Game 6, and defenseman Bryce Salvador (knee) could return tonight.
And, of course, they're on home ice, at The Rock.
"I think when you're at home the crowd can be an energy booster for you," Brind'Amour said. "At the same time, you can take 'em right out of it, too. We've played well on the road, so I'm not too concerned about it.
"But you never know how things are going to work out. You just have to trust in what you're doing."
And go full throttle.
History. Home ice. Seedings. The series trend. A future Hall of Famer in the opposing net.
But none of that matters to the Hurricanes. Just idle chatter. They will go into Game 7 of their Stanley Cup playoff series with the New Jersey Devils tonight with only victory on their minds.
"At full throttle," captain Rod Brind'Amour said Monday.
The Hurricanes franchise has never won Game 7 of a playoff series on the road, going 0-for-3. The Devils, seeded third in the Eastern Conference, have the home-ice advantage for the seventh game of this quarterfinal series.
While the Canes were impressive in a 4-0 win Sunday night in Game 6 -- beating the Devils to the puck, beating them up and down the ice -- neither team has been able to win two straight in the series. If that trend continues, it's New Jersey's turn.
Reminded of all that Monday before the team's charter flight, Canes coach Paul Maurice smiled.
"Save the gas money, we're not even going," he joked.
"I think there's a completely different mentality in a Game 7," he said in a more serious tone. "Both teams bring that excitement that we had [Sunday] night. At the end of the day, all the best players will show up and decide this."
The stars can vary in the first six games of a Stanley Cup series. Canes defenseman Tim Gleason won Game 2 in overtime with his first goal of the season. The Devils' David Clarkson won Game 5 with a power-play deflection.
Zach Parise, a 45-goal scorer for the Devils this year, was a handful in scoring goals in each of the first three games. The Canes' Eric Staal and veteran Ray Whitney were the show-stoppers in Game 6 -- Staal with two goals and an assist, Whitney with the first four-point playoff game of his career.
"Ray's an unusual guy," Maurice said. "He's not at the start of his career anymore. He's made enough money in his career that it's not the push for him -- the next contract. For Ray, it's as simple and as pure as it gets. It's winning. He appreciates the biggest games. He lives for them."
And it is in Game 7 that heroes are made.
Certainly Martin Brodeur and Cam Ward are capable of being that. Brodeur, the winningest goaltender in NHL history, might steal another game as he did in Game 5 with his 44 saves in a 1-0 win. Or Ward, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP in the Canes' 2006 run to the Stanley Cup, could follow up his 4-0 shutout in Game 6 with another stellar performance.
In 2006, the Hurricanes won Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Buffalo Sabres and then Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Edmonton Oilers -- both at the RBC Center as the Canes had the home-ice edge in the playoffs.
Brind'Amour had the game-winner against the Sabres. But in the biggest game in franchise history, defenseman Frantisek Kaberle had the winning goal in the 3-1 Cup-clinching victory.
"It's exciting to be in this position again," Kaberle said Monday. "I think we have a lot of experienced guys on the team, and hopefully we're going to win.
"I think now the chances are 50-50. It's going to be a tough game. I think we're going to play with a lot of confidence and we're going to show them right from the start we are ready to play."
While players and coaches always harp on the importance of scoring the first goal, it could be a big factor tonight given the goaltenders and the setting. Devils fans will be waiting to explode, looking to rattle the Canes, but there's more to it than that.
"Against New Jersey, it's an advantage if you score first," Kaberle said. "They're a very patient team, but they have to open up a little bit more [when trailing]."
The Canes grabbed a 1-0 lead in Game 6 when Whitney batted the puck out of the air and past Brodeur. The pace quickened, and Carolina twice beat the Devils on rushes that ended with Whitney setting up Staal for goals to go up 3-0 in the second period.
Maurice said winger Sergei Samsonov, who returned to the lineup Sunday after sitting out Game 5 with a lower-body injury, got through the game fine physically. Maurice said he does not anticipate making any lineup or line changes for tonight's game.
As for the Devils, they had captain Jamie Langenbrunner (lower-body injury) back for Game 6, and defenseman Bryce Salvador (knee) could return tonight.
And, of course, they're on home ice, at The Rock.
"I think when you're at home the crowd can be an energy booster for you," Brind'Amour said. "At the same time, you can take 'em right out of it, too. We've played well on the road, so I'm not too concerned about it.
"But you never know how things are going to work out. You just have to trust in what you're doing."
And go full throttle.
