Logan Stankoven supplied the first NHL hat trick of his career as the Carolina Hurricanes rolled past the Vancouver Canucks 7-2 at Lenovo Center on Thursday, extending their winning streak to three games.
Stankoven struck at even strength, on the power play and while Carolina was short-handed, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to score in all three situations in one game. Sebastian Aho achieved the feat twice in 2019, while Erik Cole did it in 2002 and Sandis Ozolinsh in 2001.
The Hurricanes improved to 3-1-1 behind a special-teams surge and a four-assist night from defenseman Sean Walker. Andrei Svechnikov scored twice with the man advantage in the opening period, while Pyotr Kochetkov turned aside 18 shots.
Carolina buries Vancouver early
K’Andre Miller opened the scoring 1:18 into the game. William Carrier redirected Walker’s shot off the right post and crossbar, and Miller arrived at the left face-off circle to put away the loose puck.
Carolina’s power play took over from there. At 7:11, Shayne Gostisbehere’s one-timer was stopped by Kevin Lankinen, but Svechnikov collected the rebound below the left circle and worked from forehand to backhand before lifting the puck over the goalie’s glove.
Svechnikov made it 3-0 at 9:25, finishing at the right post after Jackson Blake sent a pass across the ice.
The Hurricanes kept pressing in the second. Jesperi Kotkaniemi prevented the puck from leaving the zone at the blue line before finding Mark Jankowski near the bottom of the right circle. Jankowski picked the short side at 3:20 for a 4-0 cushion.
Jake DeBrusk answered 43 seconds later for Vancouver. He moved the puck from his left skate to his stick and beat a sprawling Kochetkov high to pull the Canucks within three.
Stankoven finishes the job
Stankoven’s first of the night came at 13:13 of the second period, with Carolina killing a penalty. Walker threaded a pass through Vancouver defenseman Filip Hronek, and Stankoven drove toward the crease before firing high for a 5-1 lead.
His power-play goal arrived with 58 seconds left in the period. Taylor Hall delivered a no-look backhand feed, and Stankoven snapped the puck into the top of the net to make it 6-1.
The 22-year-old completed the hat trick at 11:36 of the third, beating the goalie with a wrist shot from between the circles. DeBrusk added his second goal from the bottom of the right circle at 13:04 to close the scoring.
Hall, Blake and Gostisbehere each recorded two assists for Carolina. Walker’s four helpers drove the Hurricanes’ puck movement through a game in which they controlled the special teams and built an insurmountable lead before the second intermission.
Vancouver fell to 2-3-0 in the first game of a six-game road swing. Lankinen allowed four goals on 16 shots over two periods before Leevi Merilainen took over for the third and made 14 saves.
