Aho hat trick spurs Carolina Hurricanes to 5-2 victory over Chicago Blackhawks
It has been a while since hats came flying on the ice at PNC Arena.
But Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes had ‘em flying Monday. Scoring the fourth hat trick of his career, the ever competitive center spurred the Canes to a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Aho scored off the rush. He scored on the power play, with a crafty redirection. He then finished off the hat trick with an empty-net goal in the final two minutes of regulation, scoring with the Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane on his hip and pushing him all the way.
It wasn’t like the days before the pandemic, when the arena was full and hats filled the playing surface. But it was a proper tribute to a player who always has his game face set, his focus sharp and his eyes on only one prize: winning.
Asked after the game about the hat trick, Aho replied, “It’s pretty nice, but we’re here for a bigger goal.”
The Hurricanes (35-10-7) have established themselves as Stanley Cup contenders. They lead the Central Division and the NHL with 77 points. They have points in their last 11 games and are intent on staying sharp in the final days of the regular season.
“The human nature part of it, it would be easy to let off the gas,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We have to keep getting better because you get to the playoffs you just can’t have bad habits creep into your game.
“It’s all about sharpening up. We have to stay razor sharp here and find a way to keep getting better.”
Defenseman Dougie Hamilton had a goal and assist, Martin Necas scored his first goal in 12 games and Vincent Trocheck had two assists as the Canes led 2-0 after the first period and 4-1 after the second.
Canes goalie Alex Nedeljkovic picked up his 15th win of the season, facing 17 shots as the Canes were quick on getting sticks on pucks and even quicker in exiting their zone. Nedeljkovic, 7-0-1 in his last eight starts, had his biggest stop of the game with 1:34 left in regulation, gloving a shot by Kane with the Canes leading 4-2.
Aho, who has an eight-game point streak, scored his first goal off a perfectly executed two-on-one rush with Andrei Svechnikov in the second. His second goal made it 4-0 and chased goalie Malcolm Subban of the Blackhawks (22-24-6), now officially out of playoff contention.
Aho’s third goal, his 24th of the season, came at 18:44 of the third off a Jesper Fast pass. No easy shot to an empty net, either. He had Kane hounding him but finished up the natural hat trick.
“He’s a complete player,” Necas said “He can skate, he can make plays, he’s got a good shot. Especially this year I feel like he’s played so much better in the defensive zone. What can I say? He’s a great player.”
Defenseman Ian Mitchell scored for Chicago late in the second period and speedy forward Alex DeBrincat picked up his 26th in the third.
The Blackhawks had another score in the second overturned on a successful coach’s challenge by Brind’Amour for goaltender interference.
The Canes and Blackhawks go at it again Tuesday at PNC Arena, then again Thursday to close out their divisional series.
“I think why we’ve had success this year is we’ve been able to stay in the moment,” Aho said. “That’s been the whole message here lately: take one day at a time, one game at a time, and that we have to do it right every game, every day.”
News and notes
▪ Goalie Petr Mrazek served as the backup goalie to Alex Nedeljkovic after being out six games with a lower-body injury.
▪ Forwards Brock McGinn (upper-body) and Jordan Martinook (lower-body) continue to be sidelined. McGinn has been out the last 14 games and Martinook five.
▪ The Canes (35-10-7) and Blackhawks (22-24-6) play three times in four days to finish out their Central season series. Carolina, now with 77 points, went into the first game with a two-point lead over Tampa Bay and Florida in the division, with one game-in-hand on the Lightning and two on the Panthers. The Canes also led the NHL in points. That all held true, save for the game in hand.
“There’s a lot on the line,” center Vincent Trocheck said. “We’re trying to win every game going down the stretch. Nobody wants to create bad habits going into the playoffs.”
▪ Because Nedeljkovic played more than 30 minutes in Monday’s game, it marked his 27th game with 30 or more minutes — he played 29:57 in his first NHL game. The 27th game qualifies him as a restricted free agent after the season. Nedeljkovic could have qualified as a Group 6 unrestricted agree agent. He is 25, has played three years of professional hockey and has an expiring contract this season.
This story was originally published May 3, 2021 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Aho hat trick spurs Carolina Hurricanes to 5-2 victory over Chicago Blackhawks."
