5 Carolina Hurricanes players who must bring their A-Game to claim the lead in the Metropolitan

The Carolina Hurricanes can make a move and overtake the New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division this month and roll into March with the division lead. They are a team that has enjoyed some stellar seasons lately, but they have yet to break through and win the Eastern Conference. 

Winning the Metropolitan Division will put this group in the best position possible to reach the Conference Finals for the second year running. Taking the lead in February and building momentum when the most meaningful games of the year begin in March is the ultimate way for the Hurricanes to take one of the top seeds.

There are five players whose respective performances have gotten Carolina this far. And if they take it up just one more notch, expect them to at least sit there alongside New York in the Metro.

Sebastian Aho must keep up a high-octane game on the man advantage

Sebastian Aho is currently the Hurricanes points leader and he’s the go-to when they need to score. But this isn’t just at even strength, as Aho has been phenomenal on the man advantage, scoring 23 of his 55 points when Carolina is playing at 5-on-4.

With 55 in 46 games this season, Aho is also on pace to set the best mark of his career with between 88 and 90 points if he keeps going at this rate. His high-octane game in all situations has been a huge help so far in 2023-24, and it’s a far cry from what we saw last season, when Aho put up just 15 of his 67 points on the man advantage.

And remember, this is a player whose game is not purely one of the league’s best when the Hurricanes have the puck. He has also been outstanding defensively over the past few seasons, evidenced by snagging a few votes for the Selke. If Aho takes his game up one notch defensively as well, he will do his part in helping the Hurricanes catch New York.

Andrei Svechnikov needs the puck on his stick in clutch situations

Andrei Sevechnikov hasn’t played since January 19th, but it appears he will return to the Hurricanes sooner than later. His injuries will prevent him from snagging a career-high in points, as he has only appeared in 29 games this season. But when he’s healthy, there are few players who have been as dominant in 2023-24. 

Through 29 games, Svechnikov has 30 points, which if he returns quickly and remains healthy, it puts him on pace for 64 points, not far under his single-season high of 69 he scored in 2021-22. But let’s look beyond the point totals themselves and instead check out the way he performed in clutch situations.

Also through 29 games, Svechnikov also has six game-winning goals, and if you do the math, that’s a game-winner roughly every five contests. Like Aho, he’s also putting up exceptional numbers when Carolina is on the power play, with 14 of his 30 points coming on the man advantage. 

When he returns, the Hurricanes must find Svechnikov often and his stellar play so far this season needs to pick up where he left off. This isn’t to say he’s not allowed to have some rust early on, but the sooner he regains his form, the better.

Teuvo Teravainen should keep taking advantage of open lanes

Teuvo Teravainen’s best days may be in the rearview, but he’s performed admirably even with fewer points totals. Players like Teravainen show us that you don’t need to be a star or even one of the most notable names in the lineup to step up and help a team achieve greater heights. And his ability to convert shots into goals is why he’s on the list. 

Through 49 games, Teravainen has 30 points and 16 goals, barely nothing more than what you would expect from a player who’s not a top-tier name. But he’s also converted 17.0 percent of his shots on goal, which is currently second on the Hurricanes behind only Stefan Noesen. 

Unlike Noesen, however, Teravainen is still getting a lot of ice time, and given the way he’s been converting shots this season, he must take more of them. Even more amazing is the fact that Teravainen has not been the most prolific scorer during his career, snagging a 12.6 career-high shooting percentage in 2018-19 during his third year in Carolina. 

If Teravainen increases his output (94 shots on goal in 49 contests) and can average about 2.5 per game, this team will score a lot more. And more goals should mean more wins if the following player increases his productivity. 

Pyotr Kochetkov must prove he’s the go-to at goaltender

If there is a weakness on this Carolina Hurricanes team, it’s at goaltender, and neither Antti Raanta nor Pyotr Kochetkov have separated themselves as the true No. 1 goaltender, or at least as a clear-cut 1A. However, at 24, Kochetkov has a much better chance of being the future than the 34-year-old Raanta, so while the opportunity rests with both in terms of this season, Kochetkov has much more to play for. 

Given the current race the Hurricanes find themselves in, Kochetkov couldn’t ask for a better opportunity. It’s not that his numbers have been pedestrian, but right now, he hasn’t played like a goaltender a perennial playoff contender should exclusively trust between the pipes. However, that can change with a sensational run in February and down the stretch. 

His GAA is a healthy 2.60, but he’s also only facing an average of 23.25 shots on goal per game, which inflates that number. His meager 0.898 save percentage tells a better story, meaning he’s experiencing a rather up-and-down season instead of clear-cut consistency. 

With a quality starts percentage of 0.545, however, Kochetkov is ironically showing us that when he’s on, few NHL goaltenders are tougher to beat. It’s also worth noting he has five shutouts over the past season-and-a-half, so it’s all about getting consistent.