Hurricanes Coach Rod Brind'Amour Does About Face On Evgeny Kuznetsov's Signature Celly

Evgeny Kuznetsov's signature wing-flapping celebration is pretty divisive, and Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour was one of its detractors.

At least until the Canes traded for Kuznetsov. Now Brind'Amour is digging it.

On Thursday night, the Hurricanes hosted the NHL-leading Florida Panthers. That's a tall order, considering the Cats look primed for what could be another trip back to the Stanley Cup Final, but this game was all Carolina.

The Canes made it look easy and topped Florida 4-0. One of those tallies came courtesy of Kuznetsov, his first since being dealt to Carolina just before the trade deadline.

 As you can see, the signature bird celebration has arrived in Raleigh…

…although I thought the flapping was an homage to the Capitals' eagle logos over the years. It still works, I suppose.

Brind'Amour talked about the bird celebration in the locker room after the Cane's massive win.

"Kuzy," he began. "I've just hated that f---king bird thing when I had to watch it, but I love it now."

That was a big goal for Evgeny Kuznetsov who has had an up-and-down season. He spent some time in the NHLPA's player assistance program earlier this year, and when he realized that he needed a change of scenery from the Capitals, he was briefly sent down to the AHL's Hershey Bears (although, he never appeared in a game for them).

However, it hasn't taken too long for Kuznetsov to find his scoring touch — which, by the way, is a hockey town — and that's big for the Canes, who were one of the most active teams at the trade deadline.

And he wasn't alone. Kuznetsov's linemate and fellow new acquisition, Jake Guentzel, registered his first point as a Hurricane by assisting on Martin Necas' goal in the second period.

I've got to admit, I didn't have a lot of belief in the Hurricanes, but they're a well-coached team, and if some of these new additions keep producing, they could find themselves going on a run.