Hurricanes HC Calls Out Team After Game 3 Loss

The Carolina Hurricanes are close to getting swept out of the Eastern Conference Final, and their head coach is letting them hear it.

May 24, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; The Carolina Hurricanes look on during the second period in game three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Carolina Hurricanes find themselves on the brink of elimination after losing three straight at the hands of the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Outscored 16-4, the Hurricanes haven’t appeared to be in this series for even a moment and are on the verge of the franchise’s fourth straight Eastern Conference Final sweep.

The Hurricanes haven’t shown much life through the first three games of the series, and their head coach is well aware of their struggles. Rod Brind’Amour let his frustration out during his post-Game 3 press conference, calling out almost everyone on his roster.

"Can't be Jordan Staal and Martinook being our best players, and they are every night"

Rod Brind'Amour didn't take it easy on his star players 😳 pic.twitter.com/mX5dA079XU

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 25, 2025

“Just bad decision making,” Brind’Amour said. “And the four rookies in the lineup can’t be some of your better players. Like that can’t happen.”

Brind’Amour is referring to the likes of rookie forwards Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven, and defensemen Scott Morrow and the recently-signed Alexander Nikishin. Blake and Stankoven have played more than Morrow and Nikishin, but all four have been solid in their time on the ice.

While the rookies were mostly safe from Brind’Amour’s scorn, two veterans were also free of criticism.

“There’s a couple guys in there that I don’t think came to play the way they needed to in this time of year,” Brind’Amour said. “It can’t be Jordan Staal and [Jordan] Martinook being our best players. That can’t always be that way. They are every night.”

With captain Staal and Martinook being given the thumbs up, that leaves key superstars like Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis  as names getting thrown under the bus.

Aho and Jarvis both have goals in this series, but Jarvis’ came in garbage time in Game 3 when the Hurricanes were already down 6-1. Aho, Jarvis, Blake, and Stankoven are the only Hurricanes with goals against the Panthers, but none of them have come with a lead, or to even take a lead.

The Hurricanes are a game away from their fourth straight sweep out of the Eastern Conference Final, and Brind’Amour is doing everything he can to light a fire under his team.

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