[DeluxeMoustache]

Oh I see

8. Brind’Amour said he spent some time with Dundon, showing the owner what the new coach likes about the way certain teams play. (He declined to name those clubs.) In both the media conference and our phone conversation, he said he and predecessor Bill Peters were total opposites, “but we were coached extremely well. That’s why Bill could leave one day, and get a job the next. The way we will be better is by getting a lot of guys to play up to their potential. Elias Lindholm, for example, can score more than 15 goals.”

Several times in our conversation, he discussed higher expectations. In 2006, we did a piece on the eventual Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes, and Brind’Amour — who finished 10th in Hart Trophy voting that year — enjoyed a bigger role, adding he was disappointed it didn’t happen earlier in his career. Asked if there was someone on the current roster who could be the 2018-19 version, he offered high praise for Jordan Staal, who scored 19 times. “In my opinion, he can be Patrice Bergeron. We know he can defend, but there is more offence to him.”

Another fix? Told the Hurricanes had a reputation for not being hard to play against, Brind’Amour agreed. “Some nights, it was painful.”

9. Asked if there was anything he’d borrow from one of his previous coaches, Brind’Amour said he went back through his pro career, including international competition — and counted 17 of them. He thought for a bit, then said, “Peter Laviolette. That’s the mould. He got the most out of us and it was pretty simple how he did it.” OK, how? “Make sure everybody feels important. Make sure everyone’s role feels equally important.” Brind’Amour paused. “That’s a team.”

Oh, farts.