RALEIGH, N.C. – After carrying the Carolina Hurricanes during the season as their top goal scorers, Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov are ice cold in the playoffs.
That was easier to swallow during the first three rounds, when others down the lineup picked up the slack. Now, it is a problem that could cost them the Stanley Cup.
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The Hurricanes have met their match in the final against the Vegas Golden Knights, a seasoned opponent with no glaring weaknesses who won the opener 5-4. With Game 2 on Thursday night, the pressure is squarely on Carolina's best players to get it together before it is too late.
"I know we have a better in us, and we've got to show it," Aho said Wednesday. “It's on us to figure it out.”
Top-line scoring woes
Through 14 games this postseason, the trio of Jarvis, Aho and Svechnikov has scored just three times against a goaltender at even strength. The success of the second line of Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake made getting past Ottawa, Philadelphia and Montreal a breeze with a single loss in the three series combiend.
Vegas is a different animal, and Game 1 showed the frustration seeping through for the first line.
“This league is weird: You grip your stick a little tight and you get into a weird matchup, and it can look worse than it is,” Hall said. "But things can change on a dime, especially this time of year.”
The Hurricanes have been waiting nearly two months for that change. Coach Rod Brind'Amour for several weeks has exhibited patience and praised Jarvis, Aho and Svechnikov for doing good things away from the puck that contribute to winning, even if they're not showing up on the scoresheet.
His tone has changed facing a deficit in the final.
“They got to play in the other team's end,” Brind'Amour said. “They’re too much one and done and not even one (scoring chance), and it’s not a lot of time. So, they got to get a little more offensive zone time. Kind of like that last shift they had. That was one of the shifts you could say: ‘OK, there you go. That’s how it needs to look.’ We need them to get going.”
Glimpse of what could be
That final shift came with the score tied late in the third period Tuesday night, hemming the Golden Knights in their own end and generating quality opportunities. Jarvis had one shot blocked, then two more stopped by Carter Hart, including a flashy glove save that set the table for Tomas Hertl to score the winning goal 21 seconds later.
It was a marked improvement from earlier in the game, when Jarvis passed up an open shot looking for a pass and later missing a wide-open net.
“The chances are there,” Jarvis said. “We’ve had our looks. We just have to capitalize now more than ever. We can’t dwell on the past, can’t dwell on the stuff we missed. It’s about the next shift, the next shot.”
Easier said than done because Vegas is going to adjust, too. Coach John Tortorella has preached a consistent approach, and there is a reason the team has won 20 of 25 games since he took over in late March.
“We have thoughts on how to play this team,” Tortorella said. “We need to be patient. In a number of things, how we have to play, I think, requires patience — and when you get a little antsy against that team, they can capitalize. They’re that good. I think we have an understanding of how we have to go.”
What the Hurricanes need
While Jarvis, Aho and Svechnikov have looked off at times, there is little evidence it comes from a lack of caring. Maybe it's trying too hard.
“It’s not about work ethic or trying harder, but it doesn’t matter at the same time,” Aho said. “There’s also a part that we almost sometimes try to do too much, instead of just letting the game happen and play the game, let the game come to you in a way."
Teammates are trying to keep those guys' heads up and focused as best as possible. Defenseman Jalen Chatfield is all about bringing the positivity.
“Everybody’s giving everything out there,” Chatfield said. “That’s not the question. Sometimes it’s bounces. Sometimes things happen in hockey, but I think as a group, (it is about) leaning on each other to help each other play our best.”
Hall, the No. 1 pick in 2010 and MVP in 2017-18 who has found a groove with his sixth NHL organization at age 34, doesn't feel the need to coach up other players who are struggling. He maintains the belief that Jarvis, Aho and Svechnikov will turn things around.
“Those guys are great players,” Hall said. “They had their chances and their looks (in Game 1). Some of the looks didn’t turn into chances. But we know how good they are, and we know how good they can be and it’s only a matter of time.”
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl