RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“I know we have a better in us, and we’ve got to show it,” Aho said Wednesday. \u201cIt’s on us to figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTop-line scoring woes<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Vegas is a different animal, and Game 1 showed the frustration seeping through for the first line. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis 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,\u201d Hall said. “But things can change on a dime, especially this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
His tone has changed facing a deficit in the final.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey got to play in the other team’s end,\u201d Brind’Amour said. \u201cThey\u2019re too much one and done and not even one (scoring chance), and it\u2019s 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: \u2018OK, there you go. That\u2019s how it needs to look.\u2019 We need them to get going.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGlimpse of what could be<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe chances are there,\u201d Jarvis said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had our looks. We just have to capitalize now more than ever. We can\u2019t dwell on the past, can\u2019t dwell on the stuff we missed. It\u2019s about the next shift, the next shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have thoughts on how to play this team,\u201d Tortorella said. \u201cWe need to be patient. In a number of things, how we have to play, I think, requires patience \u2014 and when you get a little antsy against that team, they can capitalize. They\u2019re that good. I think we have an understanding of how we have to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat the Hurricanes need<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not about work ethic or trying harder, but it doesn\u2019t matter at the same time,\u201d Aho said. \u201cThere\u2019s 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.”<\/p>\n
Teammates are trying to keep those guys’ heads up and focused as best as possible. Defenseman Jalen Chatfield is all about bringing the positivity.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody\u2019s giving everything out there,\u201d Chatfield said. \u201cThat\u2019s not the question. Sometimes it\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose guys are great players,\u201d Hall said. \u201cThey had their chances and their looks (in Game 1). Some of the looks didn\u2019t turn into chances. But we know how good they are, and we know how good they can be and it\u2019s only a matter of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
AP NHL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/stanley-cup and https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nhl<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) \u2014 After carrying the Carolina Hurricanes during the season as their top goal scorers, Seth…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":590409,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5129],"tags":[37837,1251,149,5317,5,4,74,39,5316],"class_list":["post-590408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-vegas-golden-knights","tag-ap-sports","tag-associated-press","tag-golden-knights","tag-goldenknights","tag-hockey","tag-nhl","tag-vegas","tag-vegas-golden-knights","tag-vegasgoldenknights"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116687850958835920","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=590408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/590409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=590408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=590408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=590408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}