What’s a Game 7 like in Stanley Cup playoffs? For Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho: ‘Awesome’
Hockey players always talk about the playoffs being the fun time of the year.
But what about a Game 7, in the Stanley Cup playoffs? How much fun is that?
“It’s awesome,” Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho said Monday morning. “I think it’s a huge opportunity. It’s the moments you play for. It’s all on the line in one game.”
So it will be Monday night when the Hurricanes and New York Rangers face off in Game 7 at PNC Arena. The winner advances to the Eastern Conference final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The loser starts planning for next season. It’s all on the line.
As Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour put it Monday: “There’s a finality to it.”
The Canes passed the Game 7 test against the Boston Bruins in the opening round, taking a 3-2 win at PNC Arena. They believe they can do it again against the Rangers.
“Obviously that’s our mindset,” Aho said. “We definitely have the confidence to do it.. We believe it and will do all we can to repeat that. It’s two very good teams playing each other. You’ve just got to dig deep.”
It is an 8 p.m start. That’s an added hour of waiting, the stress level rising,
“It’s good to have stress or whatever you call it,” Aho said. “It’s going to be a good one. It’s nice to go out there and have this opportunity in front of us. Just go out there, go to battle and try to win a hockey game. So it’s awesome.”
Who will star in Game 7?
Another playoff adage is that Game 7s often produce unexpected stars. The coaches always harp on their best players needing to be at their best in the big games, but others can emerge to grab the spotlight.
In 2009, it was Scott Walker scoring the winning goal in overtime in Game 7 against the Bruins. In 2019, it was Brock McGinn with the winner in the second overtime of Game 7 against the Washington Capitals. Max Domi had two goals and an assist in the Game 7 win over the Bruins this year.
“In the playoffs at this time of year you need everybody,” Brind’Amour said Monday. “So you just don’t know who it’s going to be. It might be one of your best guys but it might not. It might be somebody else. That’s why it’s so important. You don’t win in these types of games unless everybody plays well.”
Domi said he will not be taking the ice with the idea of being the Game 7 hero again, saying, “Just got out and win a hockey game. That’s all that matters to me.”
No Canes lineup changes
Brind’Amour said there would be no lineup changes from the Game 6 loss in New York. Forward Derek Stepan and defenseman Ethan Bear will continue to be the healthy scratches, and have not played in the series.
At the morning skate, Aho was centering Teuvo Teravainen and Seth Jarvis; Vincent Trocheck centered Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas; Jordan Staal was with Nino Niederreiter and Jesper Fast; and Jesperi Kotkaniemi centered Jordan Martinook and Domi.
With the Canes having the last change at home, the Staal line again is expected to be matched up against the Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad line, just as it was in Games 1, 2 and 5 at home. If effective again, that can have a ripple effect on the rest of the team.
“I think it’s more how they play,” Brind’Amour said. “If they’re on their game, I think the group gets a good sense of confidence. They’re generally playing in the other team’s zone and they’re just doing it right. I think it’s more about that than who they’re playing against.
“But I think we need everyone to contribute and do what they do, whatever it is. If it’s more of a grind game, then do it. If you’ve got more of a skill game you have to bring that. It’s more playing to your identity as a team and as an individual as well.”
No goalie talk
Brind’Amour said he had no discussions with goalie Antti Raanta after Game 6. Raanta was pulled early in the second period as rookie Pyotr Kochetkov finished out the game.
“What’s there to say? We made a switch,” Brind’Amour said. “You put it behind you and move forward. That’s all you need to do.”
Rangers coach Gerard Gallant twice pulled goalie Igor Shesterkin in the opening round against Pittsburgh.
