While we are a few days removed from Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final (May 28), there are a ton of stories to reflect on in the series. More importantly, there is still much to discuss about the Carolina Hurricanes, who were eliminated on Wednesday night with their 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. Despite the series not going as the team wanted, there are still some positives to take away not only from Game 5, but the Eastern Conference Final as a whole.
Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said it best from the exit interviews on Friday, May 30, when asked about the season as a whole, “It’s been a little frustrating right now, just trying to unpack what happened in the last month or so and all season long. You want to be in these situations, you want to be in playoffs, you want to have a chance at all the things, it’s just not easy to win,” Staal said. “We’d love for it to be easy, but there’s opportunity to always get better. I think the group we have and how it played out this year, we have a great opportunity to take the next step. But yeah, it was a positive year, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but a lot of good stuff.”
That being said, when it comes to the positives, who were the Hurricanes’ 3 Stars from the Eastern Conference Final?
Third Star: Logan Stankoven
As one of the newcomers on the Hurricanes, Logan Stankoven made his presence felt in the Eastern Conference Final. He finished with two goals and three points in the five games against the Panthers. His two goals came from seven shots on goal, resulting in a 28.6% shooting percentage. Stankoven managed to average over 15 and a half minutes per game and still produced enough to help the Hurricanes force Game 5 back in Raleigh. His two goals came in Game 3, a 6-2 loss, and the Hurricanes’ 3-0 Game 4 win.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes’ 3 Stars of Round 2
In just over 78 minutes of ice time, Stankoven had 106 shifts, most of them being placed on the shutdown line of Jordan Martinook and Staal. To be given that assignment speaks volumes to how much head coach Rod Brind’Amour liked Stankoven’s relentless mentality. Going back to the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League to the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League, to even now in the NHL with the Dallas Stars and the Hurricanes, he has always been someone who plays bigger than he is. Stankoven’s mentality to always be going after the puck and the lack of fear to…
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