Washington Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Washington Capitals, NHL or NHLPA
Rod Brind'Amour finally gives the Washington Capitals the respect they deserve
Photo credit: Hurricanes Hockey Now
It's no secret that there's no love lost between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals. These two division rivals have been going toe-to-toe all season, and with the playoffs right around the corner, tensions have only heightened. That said, following the Capitals 5-4 shootout victory, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour made himself available to the media, showing a rare sign of respect for the Washington Capitals.
Heading into last night's game, all eyes were on the matchup-- especially after the controversy surrounding their previous meeting.
For those who missed it, the Capitals and the Hurricanes last met on April 2nd in a heated showdown.
Washington fell 5-1, but the real headline came from a controversial moment when defenceman Jalen Chatfield aggressively took down Connor McMichael-- igniting tensions between the two teams.
Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour even went as far as calling the media "morons" for criticizing Chatfield-- only adding fuel to the fire and setting the tone for last night's matchup.
Rod Brind'Amour shows respect to the Washington Capitals
After the Hurricanes 5-4 shootout loss, fans braced for another fiery postgame rant from Rod Brind'Amour.
But in a surprising twist, the head coach showed a rare respect for the Capitals-- possibly hinting at a legendary playoff showdown on the horizon.
REPORTER: What do you think happened it that second period?
BRIND'AMOUR: They got playing...you know, it's a good team. We're not going to dominate the game-- it's not happening. They took it to us that period, gotta tip our hat. This team (the Capitals) always finds a way to dig in. I can count on my hands the amount of times this team has been bad...it doesn't happen.
BRIND'AMOUR: They got playing...you know, it's a good team. We're not going to dominate the game-- it's not happening. They took it to us that period, gotta tip our hat. This team (the Capitals) always finds a way to dig in. I can count on my hands the amount of times this team has been bad...it doesn't happen.
Well, it appears that Rod Brind'Amour took last night's loss on the chin, but he didn't hesitate to give the capitals the respect they deserved.
While there's certainly no love lost between these two teams, it's refreshing to see a rival coach show respect for his opponent.
If they do meet in the playoffs, fans can expect an absolutely intense-- and possibly unforgettable series.
More details to follow.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 11 | 40 ANSWERS Rod Brind'Amour finally gives the Washington Capitals the respect they deserve Do you think the Washington Capitals would defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in a playoff series? | ||
| Yes | 35 | 87.5 % |
| No | 5 | 12.5 % |
| List of polls | ||