“When you try to do other people’s things, your own will remain undone”

Nothing is ever certain in the NHL playoffs, but one thing can be guaranteed about the series between Carolina and the New York Islanders that has started: Sebastian Aho leaves the series as the winner.

Of course, it’s a different matter whether we’re finally talking about Carolina’s Finnish star or the Islanders’ Swedish defenseman.

Suomen Aho received the first mortgage early on Tuesday morning.

In the end, few were surprised at all by what they saw.

Two teams that struggled with scoring and possession, but on the other hand, with an excellent disciplined approach to defense, scored three goals in 60 minutes. Nor was it surprising that it was Finland’s Sebastian Aho who succeeded in scoring.

A nice bonus was that Carolina scored both of their goals with the upper hand.

“He’s tried too hard”

You can’t help but talk about scoring and power play when thinking about Carolina’s spring season and championship goals. Two elite scorers, Andrei Svetshnikov and Max Pacioretty relegation has left its mark on the group’s playing.

Of course, the Hurricanes don’t want to return to regular season events, but the cold fact is that after Svetshnikov’s injury (March 11), Carolina made only 2.72 hits per game. The superiority game ran with less than eleven percent.

During the period of 18 matches, the team made 47 hits, 19 of which were made by defenders. Among the attackers, only Aho (9) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (six hits) reached at least four hits.

Against this background, Tuesday’s two overpowering hits could not have come at a better time.

– We got the upper hand after training for a couple of days during the playoffs and I now have a good feeling about it. I trust that we will get a result with it. We have prepared well, Aho tells Urheilu.

The pain of scoring has emanated from the team in recent weeks and Ahoka has not been free from it either. The head coach Rod Brind’Amour spoke during the playoffs on the club’s website about how the Conscientious Oulu attacker has tried too much at times.

– There is no doubt that he has tried too hard at times, and that is perfectly fine. It’s good that guys feel that more needs to be done. He still needs to understand that he can only do a certain amount of things. Sebastian is our best player, but he doesn’t have to be superhuman. It’s enough that he’s himself, pilot your line.

Trying too hard is just as human when you take into account Aho’s quality of character and the small amount of goal-scoring support coming from the background.

– That’s certainly true. Maybe it’s been a bit like that myself from time to time that I’ve started to overdo it. Then you don’t do your own work when you try to do other people’s work, Aho laughs.

The center forward, who had 36 hits in the regular season, finally took the painful step in terms of learning.

– At the end of the regular season, the last couple of games were already good personally and for the chain. Such things are also good to experience, as long as you learn from them.

How Carolina plans to fix the scoring gap in the lineup is still shrouded in mystery. No coincidence or bad luck

However, the NHL’s second weakest shooting percentage (8.1) after the injury of the Russian player is not.

– It’s really sad for the rest of you. Both are equipped with an incredible work ethic and Pacioretty did an absolutely crazy job to get back in the game and then another setback came. However, the tone for the team is clear in this regard. We have a job to do and as individuals we cannot fix these guys, but with hard teamwork. A little more is needed from everyone now.

A strong identity provides a backbone

What carries Carolina in the spring is a strong identity. The Hurricanes undoubtedly have one of the NHL’s best defenses and a strong game identity. A strong four-chain hairing and pressure game is poison for any team in the series.

In the regular season against Carolina, with 5 against 5, the fewest goal chances in the first sector were created and their Alivoima was the second best. There have been no remarks in the goalkeeper game either. Antti Raanta was chosen as the best in the field on Tuesday morning.

– It’s a cliché, but we’ll go into spring purely through our own game. We want to shave and pressurize and play our own hurricane game, which has brought us here. We just want to drum up our own system. Of course, the purpose is also to be good in special situations, Aho reminds.

Although Carolina actively defends forward, 2-1 readings like Tuesday’s will probably become familiar for Carolina in the spring. It’s hard to see this Carolina in a scoring competition with, say, the New York Rangers.

Despite the opening win, the situation is challenging for Carolina. The level of competition in the Eastern Conference is mercilessly tough and the trend of playing is not exactly in the direction of nihilism.

This in turn increases the pressure on the few hot spots in the team, so above all on Aho.

And let’s not forget that Carolina was in the conference finals already in the spring of 2019. Since then, Carolina has been the third best team in the regular season. The goal can only be with the highest ball.

– It’s quite clear that the championship is our number one goal, it hasn’t changed in any way, Aho firmly states.

However, Aho does not want to see summer yet.

– Now we are enjoying this and the fact that we got this opportunity. There is an incredibly good feeling about the playoffs and every player has been waiting to get to this point. Only what happens here and now matters anymore.