Aho pots a pair, leads the charge as the Canes begin the NHL Global Series with a win

The Carolina Hurricanes and the Seattle Kraken took the party overseas for the NHL Global Series, clashing in Helsinki, Finland, for the first of two games abroad on Thursday. For the six Finns on the combined rosters, it was a big opportunity to show out in their home country, but it was also a chance for both teams to get back on the ice after last playing on Saturday.

For this momentous occasion, all three Finns on the Canes' roster were in the lineup, bringing Juuso Valimaki back in after Alexander Nikishin's season debut on Saturday. It was also a big game for Taylor Hall as he skated in his 1,000th NHL game, making him the first to ever do so outside of North America. Brandon Bussi and Philipp Grubauer were in the nets for their teams to begin the twin bill.

The Canes came in waves during the opening frame. Still, it took them a bit to get one home. Nikolaj Ehlers did the honors, snapping a shot from the point. Seattle unsuccessfully challenged for goalie interference, and a Finn made them pay. Jackson Blake found a streaking Sebastian Aho for the power-play strike, doubling the Canes' lead after 20 minutes.

The Finns kept it going in the second period. Only one goal was scored, and it came off the stick of Juuso Valimaki. Logan Stankoven won the draw, giving Valimaki plenty of time and space to snap his shot past Grubauer. The Kraken pushed back a little at the end of the frame, but the Canes kept their lead at three heading into the third.

The third period went by in a flash, with nearly half of the frame disappearing before the first commercial break. Eventually, we got another goal from a Finn. K'Andre Miller picked up his second helper of the night by setting up Aho's one-timer in the slot. Frederik Gaudreau was a bit of a party pooper, breaking the shutout late in the third, but the Canes still cruised to a 4-1 victory.

Aho experiences as full circle a moment as you'll ever get

On November 12, 2016, Sebastian Aho scored his first NHL goal, beating then-Capitals netminder Philipp Grubauer around the crease. Ten years to the day, playing in his first NHL game in his home country, Aho scored another goal near the paint against Grubauer. The goal put him on the verge of tying Eric Staal's record for the most goals with the Hurricanes.

We didn't need to wait until Saturday to get that moment. Aho finished his big homecoming game with another goal, picking up that record-tying tally in the third. The perfect ending to the game would've been for him to get the record-breaker to complete the hat trick, but I think he's leaving that for the follow-up contest this weekend.

The Finnish fans were electric every time Aho's name was mentioned, from the starting lineups being introduced before the puck dropped to his being honored as the first star of the contest when it was all said and done. Aho overtakes Logan Stankoven for the team lead in goals, picking up his 11th and 12th goals of the season, while giving him nine points in his last five contests.

While it was big for Aho, everyone on the roster met the moment

Obviously, Aho was going to be front and center in this game, and he responded accordingly. However, this win embodied everything that has made the Hurricanes successful for years. Their game doesn't change because of the venue. They were on top of this game from the very beginning, and they withstood any pressure thrown at them by the Kraken.

Juuso Valimaki got his big homecoming goal, providing the proverbial dagger in the second period. William Carrier didn't record a point, but he was all over the place in the offensive zone. Andrei Svechnikov picked up an assist, giving him ten for the season. K'Andre Miller had two primary helpers, extending his point streak to three games.

Even in Finland, the Canes' best line was the Stankoven trio. All three could've picked up goals in this game, either missing an open net or hitting the post, and they still finished with five points. Nikolaj Ehlers had the game-opening goal and added an assist. Logan Stankoven had a pair of assists. Jackson Blake had an assist on the power-play goal, bringing his point streak to ten games.

Defensively, they suffocated the Kraken. In the third period, they allowed just one shot, and while it resulted in Seattle's only goal of the contest, it meant they refused to give Seattle a way back into this game. When he did see rubber, Brandon Bussi pushed it aside, finishing with 12 saves on 13 shots. He must've gotten pretty lonely in the defensive end for most of the game.

The first game of this Global Series was probably decided when the Kraken tried to challenge the first goal. There was minimal contact, likely initiated by the goalie, and Toronto upheld the call on the ice. The Canes took it and ran with it, scoring a minute later. Everything else went their way, and it earned them their 15th win. They'll have to do it again on Saturday to come home with the Finland sweep.

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