Hurricanes
Guentzel: It's been a while since I've been to the second round, you don't realize how hard it is to get there
Hurricanes forward Jake Guentzel before NY Rangers series
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Hurricanes forward Jake Guentzel before NY Rangers series
All right, we'll take questions for Jake. Just please wait for the microphone. Go ahead. Chip. Yeah, Jake. What do you really like about playoff hockey? And just how different is it from the regular season game? From your perspective? I just think everything's wrapped up crowds more into it. Um There's not much space out there and it's just a fun time to play. This is, was as a player. This is where you wanna play in the high stakes and in the environment when it's the best time to play. So makes it fun for all of us. Um I'm really excited to get going here. How did you feel about your play in the opening round? Yeah, I thought it was all right. I think I can be a little bit better. Um But it's, it's, it's this time of year when all you want to do is win and you just gotta make sure you just move on and it's a new challenge now. So hopefully better. This one, we asked Jorda about the Islanders and maybe that didn't look like the way you guys wanna play necessarily, even though you, you, you know, got rid of them in five games. Was there anything to you that you noticed as a guy who's new to this system that, uh, they did that maybe other teams don't do and that maybe you can shift into another gear against the Rangers as far as four track and things like that. Yeah. No, I think we can play a little bit better because obviously we won, still got the wins, but for us it is imposing our will and just getting on the four check and maybe creating some more offenses on time. I think that's one at our best. So, um, Islanders, they, they, they had guys above you all night and they didn't give you much ice. So it just kind of felt like it was a little back and forth there throughout the whole series. But for us, I think we gotta make sure we're just getting on the floor check and create turnovers that way. K the power play has obviously been a huge strength for you guys. Rangers. Probably one of the few teams that can match you guys in that respect. Does that put more pressure on the power play knowing that you're going up against sort of a peer in that regard to finish or is it always the same in the playoffs when you get those opportunities? Yeah, I think the biggest thing is just try to stay out of the box. We know they got some high end, high skilled players in their power play. And, um, it's, it's one of the best in the league for a reason. So it's gonna be a challenge for us in the penalty kill. But I think if we just stay out of the box and play five on five, it gives us a chance. Yeah, Jake, some, some guys go through their whole career wanting to win a Stanley Cup, including your head coach who, who went a very long time before he got his, you got it early. I mean, just does what the appetite for the second one is the same appetite as it was for the 1st 10, for sure. You get that taste and you just never wanna, you wanna keep that taste for as long as you can. You know, it's been a while since I've been in the second round. So you don't realize how hard it is to get there and, um, and get back to that situation. So for me, I'm, I'm hungry as ever. I just want to get to that Stanley Cup chance. But, you know, we got a big test to get through here and hopefully it happens. Hey, Jake JB Rick Well, Spectrum who won, uh, what, what's the most impor important factor from the experience that you gain throughout the playoffs or whatever at this stage of the postseason? What do you think would be the most experience factor from that? Yeah, just you just gotta manage the up and down. You know, there's gonna be a lot of, um, momentum changes. You're, you're gonna go through the highs and lows. You just gotta save and kill through it all. It's, it's a long series. It can be a lot of, a lot of tough games and they're a really good team. So, you know, it's gotta save and kill through it all. Thanks guys.