How Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho made history in the Canes’ Game 4 win over the Islanders

Sebastian Aho has the makings of a playoff beard. The evidence is there.

Granted, it’s still a work-in-progress. It might take a while to grow out.

But the Carolina Hurricanes center intends to do all he can to make sure it does grow out, that the Stanley Cup playoffs continue after the first-round series with the New York Islanders.

The Canes’ 5-2 victory Sunday in Game 4, giving Carolina a 3-1 lead in the series, was Aho at his competitive best. His line was the Canes’ best, even after winger Jack Drury was injured early in the game and an AHL callup, Mackenzie MacEachern, moved onto it.

Aho scored off the rush, off a MacEachern pass. Aho’s pass sprung Seth Jarvis loose for a breakaway and Jarvis’ second goal of the game. He assisted on a power-play goal by Martin Necas. He was named the game’s first star.

“He was really good,” Jarvis said. “Before the game we kind of talked that we wanted to make a difference and we had to step up our play as a line. For him to come out like that and get a big goal and just influence the game all over the ice, I think he did a fantastic job. It’s easy to play with a guy like that, especially when he’s rolling.”

Game 3 at UBS Arena, won by the Islanders on Friday, was not a good one for Aho or his line. But he promised an “attack mode” approach to Game 4 and the Canes had that, sticking to their game and earning their first road playoff win since 2021.

“He’s a very competitive kid,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I thought he was good, for sure.

“But that’s kind of how he always plays. It doesn’t always work out. The other teams are shutting you down and doing their best. But he was able to get free a few times.”

Aho also made a little history. His goal, which gave the Canes a 3-0 lead in the second period, was the 20th of his career, breaking a tie with Eric Staal and setting a franchise record.

“To be in the same conversation with guys like that, it probably means you’ve done something right,” Aho said.

Aho no longer is the “kid” that Brind’Amour calls him. He is 25, but the guy the team calls “Fishy” has played in more than 500 games in seven seasons in the NHL.

Aho and the Canes were incensed when Drury was knocked into the boards by the Isles’ Ryan Pulock, who was called for boarding. It came on the Canes’ first power play of the game and the Pulock penalty gave Carolina a 5-on-3 advantage.

Brent Burns put a shot on net, Stefan Noesen pushed a loose puck to Jarvis and Jarvis buried it for a 1-0 lead. It was the first of two assists for Noesen, who likes to patrol the area around the other team’s crease and does it well.

“You go out there and we want to make them pay, right?” Aho said. “You want to do that for your brother. You want to score a big goal and we were able to do that.”

Aho scored the first goal of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs when he connected on the power play in Game 1 at PNC Arena that the Canes won 2-1. The Hurricanes go back home with a chance to end the opening series in front of their home fans.

The Islanders believed they could have won either or both of the first two games at PNC Arena. The second was decided 4-3 in overtime, on a Jesper Fast goal.

“Every game is a grind,” Burns said Sunday. “It’s the playoffs. That’s why it’s fun to be here and have this chance, playing these games. Every inch is tough to get.

“We love the way we play and we love the group. The other team has got a vote. That’s a great team over there and they play really hard. Nobody thinks it’s going to be easy.”

Not Aho.

“There’s only one goal we all want, the only one that matters, and we have a lot of work to do for that,” he said.