Hurricanes tough out Game 1 win over Islanders to open NHL playoffs

Svechnikov filled Fast’s normal postseason spot with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook on Saturday, with Jesperi Kotkaniemi centering a second line of Necas and Teuvo Teravainen.

Andersen starts in Game 1

Brind’Amour said Saturday that Andersen would be the starting goalie in Game 1 of the playoffs.

Andersen missed 49 games this season with a blood-clotting issue but has played extremely well since his return. He has a 9-1-0 record, 1.30 goals-against average and .951 save percentage in 10 appearances, with three shutouts.

Not his tempo

With two days off between games 2 and 3 of this series and again potentially between games 4 and 5, this series is scheduled about as leisurely as a first-round playoff ever is, not only without any back-to-backs, but not even at an every-other-day pace.

As a team that’s been itching to play meaningful hockey for a month — not to mention Svechnikov, who’s much more excited to play in Game 1 than sound the warning siren like he did a year ago while injured — the Hurricanes would prefer a slightly quicker tempo.

“Even when I was a player, I mean, it’s a lot different now, but I always thought it’s interesting how you’ll play 17, 18 games in a month, with travel, and then the playoffs come around and there’s no traveling and they milk it,” Brind’Amour said. “We probably could have played four in five nights with one travel (day) and knocked this thing out. Because the guys want to play. You’re not doing too much practicing now.”

For Brind’Amour the coach, that presents some different challenges. He prefers to practice as little as possible during the playoffs, but with two days off between multiple games, there’s a delicate balance to be struck between staying sharp and not racking up extra mileage.

“That’s the tricky part,” Brind’Amour said. “You can always get better, but then you have to weigh, what are you accomplishing versus the rest and the mental side of things. Everyone goes through that. But, yeah, I’d love to see us move the games along a little quicker.”

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