The first round matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders is set and will begin this weekend. It’s a rematch from the first round last season but these teams are a lot different, especially the Islanders who went through a lot of turnover particularly behind the bench.
Related: 3 Reasons to Believe in an Islanders Upset of the Hurricanes
The Islanders fired Lane Lambert and hired Patrick Roy as their head coach midseason and the move changed how the team looked and helped them make the playoffs by the season’s end. They went from playing a fast but chaotic style of hockey to a tight and disciplined game. The Hurricanes, like last season, are playing great across the board and put together an exceptional regular season but this time, they’ve sent the message that they are going all-in on winning the Cup.
This series will be a battle and after going six games last season, it could go the distance this time around. There are a lot of factors that will determine how things play out and the winner at that but because the series can and should go seven games, seven keys to the first round matchup will suffice.
1. Limiting Aho With Gap-Sound Defense
Casual hockey fans watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs get a good look at the Hurricanes and say “Wait, this Sebastian Aho guy is pretty good” something the Islanders have known for a long time. Aho has established himself as a star in the NHL and one of the few elite forwards in the game despite not getting the Hart Trophy recognition as others.
Aho scored a team-leading 36 goals and 53 assists this season and has 254 goals and 303 assists in his career. What makes him great is not just the ways that he can generate offense but also his ability to make his linemates better on the ice. He scored four goals and three assists in last season’s matchup and gashed the Islanders with speed on the rush and quick cross-ice passes and he’ll do it again if given the chance.
The Islanders have to make sure he doesn’t beat them. It’s easier said than done but the big key to limiting him is to prevent those quick passes and force the direct shots on the net. Additionally, when Aho doesn’t have the puck, it’s pivotal to limit the passing lanes and have a willingness to block shots in the high-danger areas. His production will…
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