From Talking Points: 

Among the franchise records Ron Francis set in his two stints with the Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes are many that may never be broken.

There are a few that are ripe to fall, and Rod Brind’Amour claimed one Sunday when he played in his 63rd postseason game for the Hurricanes in a 3-0 win over the Boston Bruins to even their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

But he did it on a night when he was demoted to the fourth line with Ryan Bayda and Patrick Eaves, a strange moment in an unusual postseason for the Carolina captain.

Read more here. 

From Talking Points: 

IF it is the Flyers who the Hurricanes end up playing in the first round, here's your startling stat for the day.

After all the trades between these two teams — 12 between 1994-2006, the period when Jim Rutherford and Bobby Clarke overlapped as general managers of their respective clubs, involving 33 players and draft picks — only four players on either roster have played for both teams.

Who, you ask?

Find out here. 

From Talking Points:

Some years, when those of us at the Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association debate who to nominate for the Masterton Trophy, there is a clear favorite. This wasn't necessarily one of those years.

There were a few candidates bandied about, but we ended up settling on Rod Brind'Amour, and the more I think about it, the better I feel about that choice.

Read more here.

Rod Brind'Amour is the Carolina Hurricanes' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The Masterton is awarded annually by the Professional Hockey Writers to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Brind'Amour's 20th year in the NHL has been among his most trying. Injuries have slowed him and limited his production, yet he missed just two games this season and is playing his best hockey in the stretch run to try and reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2006.

"It has been a tough year but it's not over," Brind'Amour said Tuesday. "But if you make the playoffs, no one will remember anything about that; they'll remember the playoff run.
We're trying to get in and I'm trying to help this team get in."

Some years, when those of us at the Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association debate who to nominate for the Masterton Trophy, there is a clear favorite. This wasn't necessarily one of those years.

There were a few candidates bandied about, but we ended up settling on Rod Brind'Amour, and the more I think about it, the better I feel about that choice.

From the day in early December when he took over as Hurricanes coach, Paul Maurice preached about being more responsible on defense. Later, he would demand a better work ethic, especially from the forwards in the defensive zone.

That was never more evident than in the 2-1 victory Wednesday over Ottawa. Maurice said the Canes' top line of Tuomo Ruutu, Eric Staal and Erik Cole were in a "defensive
mode" most of the game, shackling the Senators' high-octane line of Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson.

"They shut down their big line," Maurice said. 

The Canes' Rod Brind'Amour is minus-26 for the season, last in the league, after his minus-3 game Saturday in the 4-2 loss to Boston. He also is second in the NHL in faceoff percentage. He serves as team captain. He's played with a broken nose, with a sore knee.

Brind'Amour says the plus/minus can be a misleading stat. Coach Paul Maurice agrees. Sometimes, they say, the intangibles, on and off the ice, are as important as a tangible statistic.

What are your thoughts -- on the plus/minus, on Brind'Amour's play this season?

The floor is open.

It hadn’t occurred to Hurricanes center Rod Brind’Amour that he is one assist away from 700.

He has assists in the last four games, and is currently tied at 699 with the San Jose Sharks’ Jeremy Roenick.

Brind’Amour didn’t think it was that big of a deal, though it was news he could use.

Three games, four nights. That's stressful for any NHL player, much less one who's 38 and coming off knee surgeries.

But Canes captain Rod Brind'Amour said he's ready for it and wants it. After tonight's opener against Florida, the Canes are at Tampa Bay tomorrow night and then back home Monday for the Detroit Red Wings.

"I'm here to play," Brind'Amour said today. "I told (coach Peter Laviolette) to just play me like he normally would. Hopefully I'll be good enough that he wants to keep putting me out there."

Rod Brind'Amour has been medically cleared and will play -- albeit limited action -- in the Canes' final exhibition gameSunday against Nashville.

"He'll probably play just enough minutes to get a feel for the game," general manager Jim Rutherford said of the Canes' captain.

Brind'Amour had surgery Sept. 16 to repair a cartilage tear in his left knee. He has missed the Canes' first five preseason games and much of training camp.