What is wrong with Sebastian Aho and Carolina? An expert opens up the reasons for the tar rush: “The human mind is strange” | Sports in a nutshell

There was nothing left to tell the grandchildren in North Carolina about the celebratory game early Monday morning. Carolina raised a club legend under the Anaheim match By Eric Staal jersey to the roof of the arena, but even that didn’t get the home team excited.

Should I say it again?

Below was a loud and sloppy, but certainly victorious (2–0) home match against Vancouver on Saturday, and the same was on offer in this match as well.

It wasn’t until the narrow goal at the end of the third period that the home team got excited about the game in a way that has been known before by Rod Brind’Amour as a trademark of the piloted team.

The furious streak was rewarded with an equalizing goal, but Anaheim won the match in overtime.

In the Anaheim match, a lot was crystallized from the first half of the season of Carolina, which has been among the championship candidates for years.

A clear game identity, for example in the form of greedy exploitation gaming, is still visible, but the enthusiasm is decreasing.

A kind of minimum doing has accumulated a points balance at a pace of more than 62 percent, but at the same time there are more and more question marks in the air.

Since the end of November, Carolina has won only 10 of its 22 matches. During the period, it has been the receiving side for five of five goals, and otherwise the machine coughs in a special way.

– This match in Anaheim was an excellent example of the current state. They used to play aggressively for 60 minutes, but now it was eleven minutes. I’m a fan of that way of playing, it does produce results, but it’s definitely not at the core of this team right now. It’s a fact, ‘s hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen picket.

A downward trend

In terms of a playoff spot, Carolina hardly has anything to worry about, thanks to an exceptionally weak standing in the Eastern Conference.

On the other hand, it underlines the backwater phase of the hurricane swarm. At the same time, when there are fewer and fewer tough guys in the East, Carolina’s scoring percentage has dropped by almost ten percent in four years and by more than six percent in a couple of years.

– It feels like that team takes it for granted that they will go to the playoffs. It has then led to the fact that the group tries to get there quite easily, Lehkonen criticizes.

– And I don’t think the coaching has yet used the hardest cards to tighten the belt. They have already been used a lot in previous seasons. I believe that Brind’Amour is aware that it might not be worth using all the means just yet.

At the individual level, there is also some kind of recession at hand. Sebastian Aho operates as usual with a point per match average, but the Oulu native has been far from his best level throughout the fall.

Games have slipped through the fingers of both Aho and many other top players too often.

Painting has also become a bit of a drag for the group. Flaming like fire from the beginning Martin Necas has scored only three hits and 13 power points in the previous 22 matches. The reading of the power statistic shows a frost of seven goals.

They are in the minus during the period Jordan Staal except for all the team’s top strikers.

Aho, who had 34 plus goals last season, has three hits in the cold throughout the season. The winger, who scored 36, 36 and 37 hits in the previous three seasons, is now on pace for 24 goals.

Andrei Svetshnikov and Seth Jarvis In addition to Aho, there are players at the front from whom the team needs more.

– Aho has unlimited potential, and I’ve been waiting the whole time for things to take off. Hasn’t left. Yes, he can do better, says Lehkonen.

– It seems not Jack Roslovick too just sit in that Aho chain. And it seems that Aho can’t catch up to the give-and-go game with Seth Jarvis now. I’ve been waiting for their characteristic speed hockey, but it always hits something.

Are we waiting for the club management’s moves?

In the next moment, Lehkonen also reminds of the responsibilities of the club management. Carolina lost several good players in the summer, especially the winger acquired from Pittsburgh in the middle of last season By Jake Guentzel the loss certainly took a toll on Raleigh.

– The fact is that that team weakened in the summer. There have been successful acquisitions there, but are they ones that can play for the championship. The human mind is strange when it thinks about such things. Players talk about these. Then if people say that we have a really tough team, then it gives wings again, Lehkonen begins.

– I always like to observe the bench a lot, and watching from such a distance through the screen, it’s starting to feel like maybe that group doesn’t have the best spirit right now, the long-time puck man continues.

Carolina is an interesting team heading into the spring. The trend is undeniably downward in a team whose core group has stayed together for a long time. The head coach has also remained in his position for seven years, after serving as an assistant coach for another seven years before that.

Certainly, many people are wondering if this team can still find the enthusiasm, belief and spark that is required to win the championship – Carolina can have no other goal.

Lehkonen asserts his faith in Brind’Amour, but is looking forward to the March transfer deadline. The deadline for making player trades in the current season is the seventh of March.

– That team doesn’t have the drive we’re used to seeing. Now it’s not going as well as in previous years. Maybe the players are waiting to see what moves the club management will make in the player market. There are holes on the roster to patch and that’s what the team seems to be waiting for.

– We will see the truth about this team after the transfer deadline expires. That’s how it goes there. The club management must also turn on the screen now, Lehkonen insists.