Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters says NHL players keep a mental book on the other players in the league — their strengths, their tendencies, their weak spots.
If so, the book on Canes winger Sebastian Aho might include: “Small but strong, don’t underestimate.”
Aho had a pair of goals Wednesday as the Hurricanes topped the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 at PNC Arena, winning for the sixth time in seven games. The first came on a third-period power play, Aho backhanding a rebound past goalie Carey Price, and the second was an empty-netter that sealed it.
While Aho’s game is built on speed and elusiveness, on stickhandling and playmaking in the offensive zone, the 20-year-old from Finland has some power in his 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame.