In the early days of the Carolina Hurricanes’ 2026 Stanley Cup run, the top line of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis were under pressure to produce where it counts: the scoresheet. Of course, as we’ve seen with the Hurricanes, if one line isn’t scoring goals, then there’s likely another to pick up the slack. That’s what depth of skill gets you, but also the importance of trust.

Rod Brind’Amour has been a Hurricane since he lifted the Stanley Cup in 2006 as a player, and as a coach he’s seen the team through ups and downs in an effort to get over the hump. While Aho and his linemates are feeling that pressure, the rest of the team plays against softer competition and excels because of that trust from the coaching staff. No matter what, everyone sticks to the habits and concepts that got them this far.

The second line of Logan Stankoven between Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake racked up points throughout the playoffs, to the point where most coaches would have anointed them the top power-play unit amid the struggles of Aho, Jarvis, and Svechnikov.

But the Canes’ coaching staff didn’t do that. They showed trust in the first unit, the first line, even though Brind’Amour himself told the media they needed their top offensive players to score.

Talk about pressure. 

“You guys aren’t coming off the first unit, but you have to score.”

I’m feeling pressure to score sitting in front of my keyboard 1,000 miles away.

And then something happened. Led by Aho, who clearly thrives under pressure and decided that the only way around is through (another good stoic line to deal with adversity: the obstacle is the way), the power play used the mounting pressure on and off the ice as a tool.

Face Pressure

Let’s isolate our camera on Sebastian Aho. In the clips below, you’ll see that the primary tactic needed to run the half wall on the power play is getting the puck off the wall. If your back is turned too long, you’ll succumb to pressure from the penalty killers, and the chance is over before it starts. Aho’s first move is to turn and face the incoming pressure. Getting the puck off the wall is a tactic, but there are several skills you can learn from watching Aho do it.

Necessary Skills

• Using backhand to pull puck off wall
• Sauce passes, passing under sticks
• Patience, skating, and passing (like walking and chewing gum at the same time—not always easy!)

Invite Pressure

The fun thing about Aho is that even when he has a bit of time and space on the wall, he turns square to the middle and dares the killers to check him. He invites pressure and uses it to find open teammates. Once the puck is moved and the killers have overcommitted, skill and creativity take over. Pressure is a privelege, so invite it in for tea.

Necessary Skills

• Swivel the hips around the puck
• Puck on the hip, backward glide
• Sell false info and use deception to improve the angle of the next pass

Beat Pressure

As I work on this package, the Hurricanes are one win away from winning the Stanley Cup. I don’t know what’s going to happen - the power play is just one small part of the game. But what I do know is that, after covering the team throughout the ’26 playoffs, I’ve seen their leaders take on pressure and rise above it, or through it, or whatever analogy you prefer. Sebastian Aho looks like he’s having fun at the end of this journey. He’s not stressed; he’s just playing hockey based on a foundation of concepts instilled in him by his coach and, more likely, his parents and his upbringing in Finnish minor and junior hockey. He’s reacting to what’s in front of him to beat the pressure and bring it home.

Necessary Skills

• Squeeze the zone
• Always pass-ready, work away from the puck
• Get inside the dots and shoot