Direct words from Carolina to Sebastian Aho's line: "It has to happen"

The NHL Stanley Cup finals kicked off in Finnish time on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, when the Vegas Golden Knights won the opening game against the Carolina Hurricanes with a score of 5-4.

Carolina’s top line has been far from its best in the playoffs and was also held to no points in the opening final. The Finnish star leading the line, Sebastian Aho, has recorded 4+3 points in 14 playoff games, Seth Jarvis 3+5, and Andrei Svechnikov 3+4.

After the game, Carolina’s head coach Rod Brind’Amour was asked for his thoughts on the performance of the team’s top line. Brind’Amour gave direct criticism to the trio.

– They had one good shift in the third period. They need to… Everyone needs to play well if you want to win at this time of year. It’s that simple. The best players need to get on the scoreboard. That has to happen if we want to win, Brind’Amour said.

In the playoffs, Carolina’s effective line has been the second line, featuring Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven, and Taylor Hall. In the opening final, the team’s scoring was handled by the third line, as Nikolaj Ehlers scored two goals and Jordan Staal one.

– They were great. They absolutely did their part and gave us a chance, Brind’Amour praised the third line.

The final series continues in the early hours of Friday in Finnish time.