Hurricanes
Slavin: They're a mix of what we faced in the first two rounds
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin talks about the Eastern Conference Final matchup with the Florida Panthers.
But Rob was just asked a minute ago if he'd ever seen you make a mistake in a game. Um, have you ever made a mistake in a game? Absolutely. Yeah. Multiple. No, I just, what are the biggest challenges of facing this team in this series? Obviously been three games, two were shutouts. One was a wild game to finish the regular season. Just how did you get a gauge on this? Yeah, I think they, they're going to be a little bit of a mix of what we faced in the first two rounds combined, right? They got a big, pretty physical team, but they also got a lot of skill and they got some guys that can skate and so, uh, it, it's gonna be a fun series but it also be a new challenge compared to the last two series we just went through. Um, but yeah, no, it'll be, it'll be fun and we're ready for it. This probably won't be as much of an issue for you, but how big of a factor will discipline be? Kind of being a team like Florida who likes to kind of muck it up after whistles. Yeah. I think if you look at the past couple of years that we've had penalties always seem to hurt us in the end. So it's something that we've been harping on a lot is making sure we do stay disciplined. And so it's still a conversation for us and it's something that we got to make sure that we just play whistle to whistle and not get caught up in some of that stuff. Please raise your hand if you have a question red. Uh obviously every team does things differently, but the Islanders and Devils may not have come in with a ton of momentum on the power play and you guys obviously were able to snuff them out for the most part in the series. The Panthers present a different challenge than either of those teams. And if so in what ways, um I don't know if a different would be the right word. I mean, they got some really good guys just like uh New Jersey and Islanders side, right? Top five guys on every team and their power players. Most of the time, they are skilled guys that can make plays with the pocket to give them time. And so, uh I think going into the series, you just have to keep doing what we've been doing on the penalty kill, um and staying our structure and playing it hard and playing it well. And those are big, big moments in each game when you kill off a penalty. And so we take a lot of pride in that as a kill and we got to continue to do that from a defense man's point of view. Florida seems to have found guys on defense that have produced whether it was uighur the last couple of years or now for. And is there anything about the way they play that you think, helps those guys like that succeed in their system? Um I don't know if, if it's particular to an individual. Um, but at the same time, I think their system might help. They're pretty running. I mean, I don't want to say running gun, but they're a very fast paced team that plays long and lots of high flips. And so it's easy for them to get up in the play. But, um, those two guys individually are great skaters and have a good offensive mind. And so they're able to produce a lot this year on the right side, Jacob, everyone always talks about, you know, your guys' system and your adherence to it and the commitment and the kind of the plug and play nature of it. How much of that, you know, traces back to Ron, what is it about him that's able to create an environment like this where guys are so willing to buy in and where it really doesn't matter who's in what position. I think most of that goes back to, he's been, he's been preaching that ever since the moment he took over as head coach was, you got to be consistent, you got to compete, you got to care. Um And so that's, that's what he makes guys and guys want to buy into it one because they have respect for him, right? He respects us as players, as people and wants what's best for us. But then, uh he, he shows it in the way, he coaches the game still that he's passionate and that he loves it and he wants to be out there just as bad as we do. Um And so yeah, it's easy for guys to buy into it. I mean, it might not be the prettiest way to play the game of hockey, but it works and when you have everyone doing it together, it looks good. Jacob Roddy just talked about, you know, after five years, this one feels a little bit different where you guys are just, you know, learning to win at this point in time. You've been here through all of this. Is that kind of what it is just that maturity and growth of the younger core players that's helping getting you guys to this point. Yeah, I think so. I think there's a couple of different things that play into it, but for sure the maturity of the guys who have been here for a while and, and you got some older guys that weren't here that first year that are here now. That are helping us win. And so, um no, it's definitely a collective effort of everyone doing it together and understanding how you have to play at this time of the year and how it can't be anyone going off on their own little adventure there with the puck or whatever, but everyone's bought into it and it's working for us. Thank you for your time. Thank you.