Challenge for Islanders, Hurricanes broadcasters: The two Sebastian Ahos
The Islanders' Sebastian Aho, left, and the Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Sebastian Aho of Sweden is an Islanders third-pair defenseman. Sebastian Aho of Finland is the Hurricanes’ top-line center.
And the broadcasters for the teams’ first-round series, which opened on Monday night at PNC Arena as the Hurricanes won, 2-1, must make that difficult situation easy for their audience.
“I get the easy job because it’s on TV,” said Brendan Burke, the Islanders’ play-by-play voice on MSG Networks. “The radio guys, they have a challenge because they have to make sure every time one of them touches the puck that they differentiate, somehow, which one of them touches the puck.”
Islanders radio play-by-play voice Chris King said he always warns his listeners at the start of an Islanders-Hurricanes game about what’s to come.
“I give a disclaimer,” King said. “ ‘There are two Sebastian Ahos in this game. The Islanders’ Sebastian Aho is a Swedish defenseman. The ’Canes’ Sebastian Aho is a Finnish forward.’ From that point on, I have to get it out as quickly as I possibly can so, during the game, I’ve gone to just the ‘Isles’ Aho’ and the ‘ ’Canes’ Aho.’ ”
It was the ’Canes’ Aho who opened the scoring Monday night, finding the net at 3:47 of the first period on a power play.
This is far from the hardest scenario for the broadcasters.
Burke recalled calling a game featuring Islanders defensemen Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech and Stars defenseman Roman Polak.
King said having defensemen Mark Streit and Brian Strait as Islanders teammates was difficult.
“We also had a situation where there was Anders Nilsson, Brock Nelson and Frans Nielsen,” King said. “It’s almost prepared me for the Ahos, eventually.”
Pulock ‘amazing’
Pulock had a game-high nine hits in 22:44 in addition to scoring the Islanders’ goal.
He set a tone on the first shift, leveling Jack Drury 20 seconds into the first period.
“I thought it was the most physical game I’ve seen him play,” coach Lane Lambert said. “I thought he played amazing.”
“That’s playoff hockey,” Pulock said. “It’s a long series and you try to wear teams down. It’s not that fun getting hit every shift. You try to be physical as much as you can.”
Third goalie
Goalie Jakub Skarek was added to the Islanders’ roster after completing his season with the organization’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. Skarek, 23, a third-round pick in 2018 who has yet to appear in an NHL game, went 15-16-3 with a 3.37 goals-against average and an .892 save percentage in his fourth season with Bridgeport.
Isles files
Game 1 marked Josh Bailey’s first playoff healthy scratch since joining the Islanders in 2008. He missed two games during the 2016 playoffs because of injury . . . The Islanders had six chances in the final two minutes with goalie Ilya Sorokin pulled for an extra skater . . . Defenseman Scott Mayfield blocked a team-high four shots.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
