- Jordan Staal had a goal and an assist in Carolina’s 4-1 Game 3 win over Philadelphia
- The Hurricanes lead the second-round series 3-0 and can finish it Saturday
- Read below for Rod Brind’Amour’s full quote on his captain’s impact
Jordan Staal showed up everywhere on the scoresheet in Carolina’s 4-1 Game 3 win over Philadelphia on Thursday. Rod Brind’Amour cared more about everywhere else.
Brind’Amour was asked what his captain brings beyond goals and assists:
“Everybody always looks at the scoresheet to judge people for the most part, but that’s not how he impacts us on a nightly basis,” Brind’Amour said. “He does sometimes. Tonight, he did. But he does everything for this team.”
Here’s the full Game 3 post-game presser:
The win put Carolina up 3-0. The Canes are 7-0 this postseason, matching the franchise mark from their 2006 Stanley Cup run. Game 4 goes Saturday in Philly.
Staal made his case in every column. His power-play goal at 17:27 opened the scoring, his first playoff PPG since June 3, 2021.
He set up the eventual winner too. Staal fed Jalen Chatfield on a short-handed 2-on-1 to make it 2-1, then killed all five Flyers power plays, including a 5-on-3 late in the second.
Throw in 10-9 on faceoffs and three of Carolina’s 31 hits.
Watch the opener:
Linemate Jordan Martinook talked about how Staal still pushes the room:
“I feel like he’s just getting better with the older he gets, which is fun to see and prepares better than anybody, wants it more than anyone,” Martinook said. “Obviously, a huge game tonight by him. He sets the tone for our team and he did that tonight, for sure.”
The captain deflected when asked about his own night:
“It’s just the game that we’ve built as a whole,” Staal said. “I’m obviously a part of it, but it’s being physical, it’s making it hard on them and playing their end and doing that over and over and over again until they break.”
Catch the Game 3 highlights:
Frederik Andersen stopped 18 of 19. Andrei Svechnikov’s shot caromed off the end boards onto Staal’s stick for the PPG assist.
Special teams did the heavy lifting:
The 37-year-old is in his 20th NHL season, 14th with Carolina. After Stankoven opened the series with a Game 1 shutout, Staal has the Canes one win from another Eastern Conference Final.
