Stars make the difference
When I mentioned in the keys piece that Carolina will need their big talents to be the difference, this is exactly what I meant. When the Cans face opponents like Columbus without the same caliber of top-end talent at their disposal, it’s important for the big guys to step up and be the difference. Demonstrate how important it is for them to be members of the team.
With Andrei Svechnikov scoring the game-winner in another multipoint night for himself and Sebastian Aho tallying the dagger in the 3rd period, those stars really came through for the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina’s depth also showed up and possibly could have gotten the win without their top-end talent, but their stars really put the game to bed for a comfortable finish to the night.
Speaking of a comfortable Finnish, Aho is starting to look more and more like the dominant player we all know he is. We know Aho can take over a game and put teams to bed and he is expected to do that. As the highest-paid member of the organization and the face of the franchise, he shoulders that pressure and that burden and has been doing an excellent job with it.
Andrei Svechnikov received an eight-year deal this summer with an average annual value of $7.75 million. That is not a small commitment and he is repaying the organization’s faith this season in abundance. Through four games this season, Svech has 4 goals and 3 assists for 7 points from the Russian winger. He’s playing out of his mind to this point of the season.
It was nice to see this game so comfortably spread by the two budding stars, and it should fill the fanbase with optimism. Remember, Carolina still holds some of the biggest talents in the National Hockey League. Svechnikov and Aho, despite being separated in the lineup, are starting to prove that they are a formidable two-headed monster.