Carolina is undeniably one of the favorites in the East, but will the middle lane hold up in a tough place, thinks Urheilu’s NHL reporter Tommi Seppälä.
Tommi Seppälä NHL reporter
It was stated a couple of weeks ago that the Carolina Hurricanes now have an open track thanks to the reformed number one chain. Hands up: it could be that the alignment was done too hastily.
Four games into the series between Carolina and the New York Islanders, there are, to say the least, a worrying number of question marks when it comes to Carolina. There should be particular concern because the problems are directed at the center department, the most important part of the game.
And yes, at the same time we remember that Carolina leads the series 3-1. Only winning matters.
Still.
The first point is related to the fact that Carolina’s number one chain, which has been praised a lot on the subject, has not yet received Sebastian Ahon with the lead a big gear in the eye. However, I wouldn’t worry about this. Sooner or later, Aho and his chains will emerge.
Instead, the second center problem must be brought up here and now.
Who is Carolina’s second center?
I don’t think that anyone, even in the coaching staff, knows the answer to this when the playoffs are already under pressure for the second week. It is certain that it is this topic that bothers the mind of the coach the most.
Finally, the square has been offered Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Porilainen played a game going to the mug late on Saturday night and got to the top spot several times, but couldn’t get the puck into the net. For Finns, it seems to be a sad fact that there is no such thing as an ace coach for the role of second center.
In some places in Finland, there is an incomprehensible narrative that Kotkaniemi is somehow an exceptional playoff player. Kotkaniemi is in no way intended to be taken more seriously than others, but there is no support for such a view.
In the two previous springs, Kotkaniemi was about 40 percent player in terms of goalscoring and top positions. This spring, the number in the finish positions of the first sector is 35 percent. Six out of ten starts go to the opponent.
When power is not created, the reputation of a special playoff player cannot be created. Kotkaniemi, who enjoys an annual salary of five million, can’t be praised only for playing – or at least playing has to be a plus sign. Carolina is outright pushing him for a place in the second line, but there doesn’t seem to be a center forward.
The situation in the middle lane has deteriorated significantly Yevgeny Kuznetsov because of. The lanky and flabby Russian has managed to lose his head coach in just a few weeks by Rod Brind’Amour trust completely. The leisurely and lazy Kuznetsov doesn’t even seem to be trying to get into Carolina’s fast style of play.
On Saturday, Kuznetsov was completely useless and won, among other things, 12.5 percent of his starts. He got the third least amount of ice time of all players. This says everything about the coaching’s trust in the player.
As a result of all of the above, a huge gap is created in Carolina’s mid lane. This in turn increases the pressure on the first chain. Aho’s chain should really be able to pull the sled behind it now.
Of course, both the team and the media must know how to play one series of matches at a time. Carolina leads the current series 3–1 and is thus one win away from fulfillment. It’s still hard not to look to the future.
Who will lead and, above all, win as the conductor of the second chain in the second or third round of their own matchup against the New York Rangers or Florida Panthers. For example, Florida skates in the first three chains as centers on the ice Alexander Barkov, by Sam Bennett and by Anton Lundell – we can talk about a hell machine.
So what’s the solution?
Could you Teuvo Teräväinen return to the middle and lead the second chain? In theory, yes. Teräväinen is a really smart player who understands and knows the rules of center play. Even Teräväinen is still not in the best shape of his life, and against tougher teams, the challenge would start to be tough.
And it’s not that Kotkaniemi, Kuznetsov, Teräväinen and Carolina aren’t all world class – as individuals and as a team. It’s about the fact that nothing else is good for Carolina but the Stanley Cup. In that race, the situation in the middle lane appears to be problematic.
In order to win the championship, Carolina must give birth to a growth story. Only under the leadership of Aho’s chain, this team will not march to the championship. In the background, you must at least be able to play the winning wall game and be happy to forge results in important places.
Below is the latest episode of the Ikan änäri podcast. All episodes can be found on Areena.