If the Carolina Hurricanes are going to rally to win the Stanley Cup, their top line needs to start playing like one.
Center Sebastian Aho's line with wingers Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis has come under scrutiny again after their 5-4 Game 1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, when the trio didn't produce a point.
"Everyone has to play well if you're going to win at this time of year. It's as simple as that," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "And your best guys have got to get on the score sheet. That's going to have to happen if we want to get where we want to be."
Aho's line played just over 140 minutes together at even strength in the postseason. While the Canes are earning 55.8% of the shot attempts, they're a minus-2 in goal differential, a minus-11 in high-danger shot attempts and have an expected goals percentage of just 45.5%, according to stats site Natural Stat Trick. That's a far cry from the regular season, when they were on the plus side of all of those metrics, including earning 63% of the shot attempts.
The line's lack of production has been an issue throughout Carolina's otherwise dominating playoff run, as lines featuring winger Taylor Hall and center Jordan Staal have carried more of the scoring load.
"We'd love to have more production," Brind'Amour said. "We haven't needed it yet, fortunately for us. But obviously the amount of minutes they play, and the situations they play in, we're going to need them to be on the score sheet."
Jarvis, who has just three goals in 14 postseason games after scoring 32 in the regular season, said there has been frustration for him and his linemates.
"I mean, there is, but again, the chances are there," he said. "We've had our looks and we just have to capitalize more now than ever. We can't dwell on the past. We can't dwell on the stuff we miss. It's about the next shift and next shot."
Aho (seven points in 14 games) said Wednesday that his line needs to be "smarter with the puck" and take more shots when the opportunities are there. He knows that the Hurricanes needed his line to hit the score sheet in Game 1.
"Yeah, a game like last night, you've got to find the way to score one there," he said. "It's not about work ethic or trying harder. You've got to figure out how to produce in that game and help the team. It's on us to figure that out."
The Hurricanes' top line did generate one great scoring chance late in the third period, in which Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart robbed Jarvis with a glove save. Brind'Amour hoped that would show them what they need to do in Game 2 to combat the Golden Knights' forecheck.
"They got to play in the other team's end," Brind'Amour said. "They're too much 'one and done' -- and not even one of a lot of times. So, they've got to get a little more offensive zone time. Kind of like that last shift they had. That was one of the shifts where you could say, 'OK, there you go. That's how it needs to look.' We need them to get going."
