The Carolina Hurricanes did not win Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals against the Florida Panthers. Unfortunately, losing in the East Final is a common occurrence for Carolina these days. In fact, this loss represents their 13th straight defeat in the East Final, dating back to 2009. It's a narrative that head coach Rod Brind'Amour cannot escape.

Brind'Amour won a Stanley Cup with this franchise back in 2006. He knows what it's like to win in Carolina. Perhaps this knowledge is the reason the team's current bench boss is not interested in changing things up. Brind'Amour mentioned on Wednesday that he is going to stick with his gameplan, no matter the narrative.

“Well, you're going to talk about it, you guys are going to say it, but what do you want to do?” Brind'Amour said, via NHL.com's Dan Rosen. “You're going to change your game. That's not going to work. I know it doesn't work. I know you could try to go there, open up, start risking, start doing different things, and it's not going to be the answer. So, yeah, I hear you.”

Hurricanes' Rod Brind'Amour focused on the little things

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The Hurricanes are a great team that prides itself on the small things. Carolina has reached this point in part because of their attention to the details. This may have escaped the team a bit during Game 1 against the Panthers. But it's a philosophy Brind'Amour hopes to re-establish as this series continues.

“We go over and over and over how we're going to create more scoring chances and give up less,” he said, via Rosen. “That's the game. That's what you're trying to figure out. Attention to details and not giving them the freebies. For me, we gave two freebies last game. You take those off the board, now we're in a game. That's what we just have to find a way to do.”

The Hurricanes have come a long way under Brind'Amour's watch. However, they still need to take a couple more final steps. Their first step is avoiding a sweep in the East Final. They can do that with a win in Game 2 on Thursday night in Raleigh, North Carolina.