"I think there are some very strong similarities," Cole said on a new episode of the "NHL @TheRink" podcast. "You can talk about personnel and skill level and compare and contrast rosters, but I think that's less important than the aspects of drive and determination and singular focus on a goal.
"The goal for every team, every year, should be to win the Stanley Cup regardless. That is the end goal, that is the only thing you play for. And this team has had success but never really accomplished that goal. So I think the singular focus, the drive for that one thing, to win a Stanley Cup, is what needs to be present and is certainly present with this team."
The Hurricanes have won five straight games to start the season. Cole has no points but is plus-5 and playing 14:38 per game on the third defense pair with Tony DeAngelo.
Cole agreed to a one-year, $2.9 million contract with the Hurricanes on July 28.
"They realize they've had a good team for a number of years, but how do we turn that corner, how do we actually get it done?" Cole said. "That's why the focus is on establishing those fundamentals early in the season and adhering to that game plan. But then also knowing that it's Game, what, 5 or 6 of the season? What matters is the (Stanley Cup Playoffs). What matters is the process of getting to the playoffs and doing all the right things and setting those habits going forward. That's where the mindset from the coaching staff is at the moment, and I think that's where the mindset from the players is at the moment.
"Yeah, it's great, we're winning games, we're undefeated. That's awesome. Game 5 doesn't matter. Game 95 or 105, those are the games that matter. So we're going to continue to build, we're going to continue to get better, we're going to continue to strive to push ourselves to get better until we get to that point in the season."
In addition to a 21-minute interview with Cole, the episode features co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke opening with a discussion about the Chicago Blackhawks and the fallout from the independent investigation of former player Kyle Beach's allegations of sexual assault by then-assistant coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.
Rosen and Roarke also discussed the Blackhawks' struggles on the ice and dove into some issues plaguing the Toronto Maple Leafs. They talked about the Calgary Flames as a surprising success story in the Western Conference and wondered aloud if there should be concerns about the Colorado Avalanche's slow start. They also hit on the St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Winnipeg Jets and more.
The podcast is free, and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on
NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts
and the NHL app.
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Listen: New episode of NHL @TheRink
