Hurricanes confessional: Why Sebastian Aho expects more out of himself — and his line
Sebastian Aho is not happy with the way he’s playing and plans to do something about it.
While much attention has been directed at the Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas, who has a 13-game point streak, Aho’s start has not been to his liking.
“Ah, it’s been not good enough, obviously,” the Canes center said last week before a back-to-back set against Ottawa and St. Louis at the Lenovo Center. ”It’s not all bad but obviously could be better. I just need to bear down and be better.”
At the time, after the morning skate, Aho had gone seven games without a goal. He ended that goal-less streak later, on Saturday night, by scoring against the Senators, albeit on a power play with a two-man advantage.
Aho, tapping his stick on the ice, took a cross-ice pass from Necas and let loose with a one-timer that had him drop to a knee. Sens goalie Anton Forsberg didn’t have a chance.
Aho’s reaction? A little fist shake. That was it as he rose and skated back to the bench.
The goal, in Carolina’s 4-0 win over Ottawa, was Aho’s fourth of the season. Two have been overtime winners. He had an empty-net goal and now has added the 5-on-3 goal.
Missing: a five-on-five score. Aho had 15 five-on-five goals last season after a career-high 22 in 2022-23, finishing with 36 goals each season.
Others score around Aho
Aho has centered a line with Andrei Svechnikov and Jack Roslovic, and it was Roslovic who was on an early heater this season. A free-agent signee, the winger had nine goals in the first 12 games – every time his stick touched the puck it seemed to find the net as he used his quick release to score.
But Roslovic has been without a point the past five games.
“We had a really good stretch of games and maybe fell off a little bit and got a little loose,” Roslovic said Tuesday. “I think if we just tighten it up and get back to playing the way we know how to play, I think we can keep on producing. The last couple of games have not been there statistically for our line, but we’ve been winning games and contributing in other ways.”
Svechnikov had gone six games without a goal before scoring on the power play Sunday in the 4-1 win over the Blues as the Canes improved to 13-4-0.
“It’s not like my line has not been good enough,” Aho said. “But, obviously we haven’t created a ton of offense. I don’t know. We have to figure out together as a unit how we can play. I definitely expect more from my line than what I’ve seen.
“We’re working our tails off. It’s not like we’re not. I think we have to bring the head in the game, too. I think we’re rushing things too quick, and I think we’re back-checking most of the game because we’re being too quick.”
After scoring against Ottawa, Aho did not have a shot at any strength the next day against St. Louis. Svechnikov did have five shots, but Roslovic had one.
“We’re all pretty good skaters and we should hold on to the pucks and use our speed in the O zone and all that,” Aho said. “Obviously, we haven’t done that. We haven’t done a good enough job of staying on the pucks in the O zone and making the plays that are there. And when there’s no play, being patient enough to maybe put it behind the net and try again.
“Like I said, we’re trying, so it’s not that. I’m not worried about that. I think we should create more. You score a lucky one or couple of goals and it can start to go a different way. But having said that, I don’t think we’ve created enough to be lucky.”
Seeking impact
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour recently said his top line needed to be more “impactful” in games, noting, “When you watch the other team’s best guys, you notice them. We need to get that out of (our ) guys a little more regularly.”
Aho said his line got the message.
“A hundred percent. We know,” Aho said. “Obviously he expects more out of us. But we as a line, for sure, expect more from ourselves.”
A year ago, Aho had 17 points in his first 17 games – five goals and 12 assists. The year before, in 2022-23, he had eight goals and 10 assists after 17 games, with a hat trick against Buffalo.
Thus far this season he has the four goals and 11 assists, with a minus-3 plus/minus rating through 17 games that has to sting.
“I’m sure it’s going to come,” Aho said. “If it was about work ethic that would be a red flag, but it’s not about work ethic.
“I look at my linemates and they’re working and they’re skating. I think we can do a better job reading off each other and just play the game the way we should. It’s been too much one-and-done.”
Canes winning regardless
But Aho was quick to say the Canes’ record has not suffered. The schedule has been road heavy -- the Canes start a three-game trip Wednesday in Philadelphia -- but 13-4-0 is a strong start, especially with goalie Frederik Andersen injured and out indefinitely.
Injured forward Seth Jarvis was at practice Tuesday in a yellow, no-contact jersey and likely will sit out a few more games.
As for Aho’s slow start, he has been through them before. At age 27, he has played more than 600 NHL games and realizes each season is different with lineups changing. As the team’s highest-paid player at $9.75 million a season, he also realizes the expectations and the need to perform.
But there’s a lot of games, a lot of hockey left, he said.
“The beautiful thing is there’s 82 of these and we’ve been winning,” Aho said, “and that’s the main goal anyway.”
