By AIDAN JENSEN
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Since losing to the New York Islanders on Dec. 23 last year – their fourth in five games, the Carolina Hurricanes have been playing their best hockey on the young season.
Not only have the Canes been winning games, but dominating some of the NHL’s best teams.
Carolina started its five-game winning streak on Wednesday, Dec. 27, with a 5-2 road win against the Nashville Predators. This victory was fueled by a 4-point game from superstar Sebastian Aho, who netted the opening goal and dished out three assists.
Bridgestone Arena is one of the toughest places to play, as fans can come right off Broadway and yell at the top of their lungs.
The Canes returned home the very next day and beat the Montréal Canadiens, 5-3. This game was an offensive paradise, with Andrei Svechnikov recording a hat trick and Aho registering four assists.
Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, hosted the Canes on Dec. 30. The good guys in red won 3-2, spoiling Toronto’s hopes of one last victory before the New Year.
If Carolina plays like they’ve started 2024, though, they’ll be a tough out in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Canes went into Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Jan. 2 and left with a dominating, 6-1 win over the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers. Svech continued his recent tear with two goals and defenseman Brady Skjei recorded three assists, but Canes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov was the story of the night, shutting down New York’s star-studded offense with 28 saves.
Carolina took down another rival on Friday, Jan. 5, as they scored six unanswered goals (five in the third period) during a 6-2 road victory over the Washington Capitals. Svech scored the eventual game-winner – his ninth of the year – nearly 13 minutes into the final period.
This hot streak has vaulted the Canes from the outside of the Wild Card picture, to just five points behind the Rangers for the divisional lead. Carolina hosts the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m., hoping to inch closer towards another Metro Division title.
Aho heading back to NHL All-Star Game
When you think the Canes, who would you consider their best player?
One name that comes to the front of my mind is Sebastian Aho, who has been everything advertised since Carolina took him 35th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.
He’s scored 20 goals every year since his 2016-2017 NHL debut season, including a career-high 38 during the COVID-altered 2019-2020 campaign.
Aho is the Canes’ leading point-getter this year, scoring a team-high 15 goals and dishing out a team-high 31 assists.
For his efforts, Aho was recently selected as an NHL All-Star for the third time in his career. Aho will be heading back to Toronto, with All-Star Weekend taking place from Thursday, Feb. 1-Saturday, Feb. 3.
Aho was previously an All-Star in 2019 and 2022. Since the Canes relocated from Hartford, Conn., Aho is just the third player in franchise history to be an All-Star three times.
