The March 5th hat trick against Tampa Bay very well could have been Teuvo Teräväinen, 28, breakthrough success. It was clear underneath that game that the season of the player from Helsinki, who has grown into Carolina’s undisputed key player in recent years, partly due to injuries, has not been nearly what was expected of him.
Before his hat trick, Teräväinen was only seventh in the team’s internal points market. For comparison, it should be mentioned that in the previous period, Teräväinen’s ranking on the stock exchange was third.
However, the big success against Tampa has not brought any kind of rhythm change.
In the following fourteen matches, Teräväinen has recorded only five (2+3) power points, ranking only tenth in the team’s internal stock exchange. You can find it ahead Jesper Fastia, Stefan Noesenia, Jesperi Kotkaniemää and several defenders.
Teräväinen is undoubtedly the biggest disappointment of the Carolina season, and even the Finnish NHL season so far.
The situation is critical, first of all, because the team’s two best scorers are on the sidelines. The star pier bought from Vegas fell first Max Pacioretty and after that the Russian Star Andrei Svetshnikov. Since Svetshnikov’s injury, Carolina has scored just 2.5 goals per game, fifth-fewest in the entire league.
The team’s power play is the third weakest in the entire NHL after the injury of the Russian winger.
In a situation where high-profile wingers and scorers are starting to run out, Teräväinen is allowed to expect much better.
Cold data
And Teräväinen has not excelled in other areas of the game either. Whether it’s about goal waiting or goal positions, almost any deep data, the center winger with a wild card background is the weakest part of his team. After the hat trick, Carolina has, for example, lost 55 percent of the goals from the first sector while Teräväinen was on the ice.
The reading is the weakest of the entire team.
Apart from the naked eye, both traditional and in-depth statistical data offer the same result: Teuvo Teräväinen is playing his weakest season in the NHL in six years.
It is also humane. Bye games and even bye seasons are part of the NHL business, but the timing couldn’t be worse from the team’s point of view. Teräväi would need it now more than perhaps ever before.
And Teräväi doesn’t need to be upset at all anymore.
Over the course of the season, I myself have been talking about the second chain of the season and Teräväi, who started with the second dominant composition Sebastian Ahon next to Teräväinen was eventually transferred to that, but nothing has changed. The two have a plus in goals in a pinch, but the flying weather and chemistry of previous years have not been available – 450 minutes together is not a small sample size.
It is up to Teräväinen himself to get himself started.
in Finland Jesse Puljujärvi matches in Carolina have of course been watched with a close eye and in many places it has been stated that Aho’s job is not to protect Puljujärvi, which is looking for its game. It is indisputable that especially Puljujärvi puck is not currently at a level that would justify playing in the top chain.
It’s not Aho’s job to start Paapo Puljujärvi, but it’s also not Aho’s job to play Paapo Teräväi, a 28-year-old regular player enjoying an annual salary of almost five and a half million dollars.
The above-mentioned Finnish trio scored a spectacular goal late on Saturday night against Buffalo, but was there much else on offer?
Not much.
A hole between wood and bark
The situation also affects Aho, who despite the merciless chain rally of the last few weeks has scored goals in almost every other match. However, the Oulu native cannot reach his best flight in this company.
Puljujärvi had a positive start to his time at Carolina, but the numbers are cold reading after a few weeks: fourteen matches and 0+2. It goes without saying that such readings are not readings that qualify for a place in the top chain – however, less attention has been paid to the fact that Teräväinen’s screens do not qualify for a place in the top chain either.
It is clear as day that Teräväinen would not even be in the direction of the first chain if he was the head coach Rod on Brind’Amour would have a healthy team on their hands.
When evaluating Carolina’s situation and its Finnish players, Teräväi and Puljujärvi must be evaluated from completely different starting points. Carolina has not counted anything on Puljujärvi. The young player from Torni is in the top chain only and only because of circumstances (injuries).
Teräväinen’s situation is different. Teräväinen belongs to his team’s leading players and salary elite.
It is solely Teräväinen’s responsibility to find reasons and solutions for the lack of game humor and final sharpness, and there is not much time. The playoffs start in a couple of weeks and if Carolina’s scoring game from the offensive department is solely dependent on Aho, the spring will be short and a huge disappointment.
When Carolina is being evaluated in Finland, the eyes should be shifted from Puljujärvi to Teräväine next week.
In the latest Ikan änäri episode, Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl talked about the incredible scoring rate, among others. Among the Finnish players, Kasperi Kapanen and Erik Haula got attention. You can find all episodes of Ika änäri on Areena at this link.