Unsung Heroes
Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes
"Carolina’s inability to score has burned them in the playoffs the last couple of times. So when Max Pacioretty, Andrei Svechnikov and then Teuvo Teravainen all went down with injuries, it was fair to fear how the heck they would score enough this postseason. Instead, they’ve potted 3.38 goals per game offensively in the playoffs, which ranks fifth out of the 16 teams that made it.
The short explanation is they’ve done it by committee. Seattle’s been hailed as the king of scoring balance and they, for reference, have nine players who’ve scored at least four points through the 10 playoff games they’ve played. The Canes have 11 players who’ve hit that four-point mark and they’ve played one fewer game than the Kraken.
Seth Jarvis’ breakout has arguably been the most important difference compared to the regular season. The 21-year-old had an underwhelming sophomore campaign with 39 points in 82 games, despite getting long looks on the top line. He’s caught fire now, however, with four goals and eight points in nine games on the top line with Sebastian Aho.
Jarvis’ high-energy, tenacious play has come with improved finishing, resulting in the Canes outscoring opponents 10-3 at five-on-five with him and the first line on the ice."
