No need for the Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho to be ‘super human’ in Stanley Cup Playoffs

Sebastian Aho is always one of the first Carolina Hurricanes players on the ice in warmups before a game, and will be again Monday when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin at PNC Arena.

Aho is the first skater in line behind the starting goalie, head down, game face on.

On a Hurricanes team not lacking competitors, the Finnish center is one of the most intense. Aho burns to win. A selfless type interested only in leading his team to victory, he is willing to do whatever is necessary, and will do that against the New York Islanders in the opening round of the playoffs.

All that is good, and has helped make Aho the Canes’ most valuable player. But it also became something of a detriment when forward Andrei Svechnikov was lost for the season to a knee injury in March.

There was much talk among the Canes of everyone stepping up their games to fill the absence of the power forward, who was selected for the NHL All-Star Game this season. Aho took it upon himself to do more, to ask more of himself, to the point it took something of a toll on him in the final month of the season.

“Sometimes, that’s the hardest part,” Aho said in an interview Saturday. “You want to do pretty much everything out there. You’re over-trying it. And when you’re trying to do everyone’s job, it probably means you’re not doing your job as well as you could.

“We obviously feel bad for ‘Svech’ but we do have a job to do. You do it as a group. You don’t do it by yourself.”

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Saturday was was “no doubt” that Aho was trying too hard to be too good.

“We talked about it a couple of games ago,” Brind’Amour said. “And that’s good. You want your guys to feel like they have to do more. But he knows and he’s got to realize there’s only so much he can do. We want the best of him.

Apr 13, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) controls the puck against Florida Panthers defenseman Marc Staal (18) and center Eetu Luostarinen (27) during the first period at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

“We’re not picking up the slack of ‘Svech’ being out — one guy can’t do that. It’s a group effort. We all just have to be a little better as a group and no different with him. (Aho) is our best player but he doesn’t need to be super human. He’s just got to be him.”

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Aho was centering a line with Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis against the Vegas Golden Knights when Svechnikov was injured in the March 11 game at PNC Arena. Svechnikov, who appeared to catch a rut in the ice, tore his right ACL and soon underwent surgery, leaving a void in the lineup and in the locker room.

“It was tough,” defenseman Brent Burns said. “He was such a huge piece. He’s such a special guy, an awesome guy.”

In the 18 games Svechnikov was out the Canes were 9-8-1, clinching the Metropolitan Division by one point over the New Jersey Devils by winning their last two games.

“We believe in this group, with or without ‘Svechy,’” Canes captain Jordan Staal said Saturday. “Obviously we’d love to have him but there’s not much you can do about it. I think we still believe in how we play and how we do things.”

Aho had nine goals and three assists in those last 18 games, including a hat trick against the Philadelphia Flyers, in closing the regular season with a team-best 36 goals. His 67 points in 75 games were second behind Martin Necas’ team-leading 71 points.

But Aho also took some penalties that were uncharacteristic down the stretch. One was listed as “Sebastian Aho hooking against Sebastian Aho” as he was called for a penalty against the Islanders’ Aho in their last regular-season matchup, won 2-1 by the Hurricanes at PNC Arena.

As the Canes failed on power play after power play, Aho showed some frustration that seemingly leaked into other parts of his game.

“I’ve talked to him a little bit about that and he understands it’s not easy,” Staal said. “He has a lot of pressure on himself, when a big guy like (Svechnikov) goes down, on the offensive side of things.

“You can’t put that pressure on yourself and expect to make something happen every shift. He can’t get frustrated if the power play isn’t clicking or if a couple of shifts here and there doesn’t go your way. You can’t let that get you off your game and how we play.

“He’s understood that and I think the last few games he’s played a lot better. I think he’s going to be a horse for us.”

In his 48 playoff games the past four years, Aho has 18 goals and 46 points. He has experienced all the highs and lows, of being favored and being the underdog, of winning a Game 7 and also losing one.

Everything about the playoffs is different, Aho said Saturday. It will be that way Monday.

“It’s the intensity level, fans going nuts in the building,” he said. “It’s loud, it’s electric.”

Aho will be one of the first on the ice Monday to experience it again, head down, game face on.

“It’s the best time of the year,” he said.