NHL EDGE stats behind Stankoven’s breakout postseason for Hurricanes

NHL.com's fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we identify some key advanced metrics behind Carolina Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven.

Logan Stankoven is having a breakout performance for the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs backed by dominant advanced stats.

Stankoven has scored goals in each of his first three games against the Ottawa Senators this postseason, including the game-winning goal in Game 1, and has totaled four points (three goals, one assist) and 15 shots on goal (tied for team lead) in those games. He’s tied with five other players for the NHL lead in playoff goals and is tied for fourth in shots on goal this postseason and leads the entire NHL in 5-on-5 shots on goal (13).

Stankoven became the second player in NHL history to score the game-opening goal in each of his team’s first three games of a postseason (other: Toronto Maple Leafs forward George Armstrong in 1956). The Hurricanes have a 3-0 lead in their best-of-7 series against the Senators and will have a chance at a sweep in Game 4 at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday (3 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, TBS, truTV, FDSNSO, HBO MAX).

The line of Stankoven, Taylor Hall & Jackson Blake has combined for 13 points (five goals, eight assists), 34 shots on goal and 55 shot attempts in three playoff games; no other forwards on the Hurricanes have had more than one point so far in the playoffs, and five of Carolina’s seven goals in the series have come from that line. Hall is also tied for the most even-strength points (four) this postseason.

Acquired from the Dallas Stars as part of the Mikko Rantanen trade last season, Stankoven has 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists) in 100 regular-season games with the Hurricanes. Stankoven now has 12 points (eight goals, four assists), including three game-winning goals, in 18 career postseason games with Carolina. Stankoven is tied with teammate Andrei Svechnikov and others for second in the entire NHL in game-winning goals over the past two playoffs combined (behind Leon Draisaitl's four).

Stankoven finished this regular season on an eight-game point streak with 11 points (seven goals, four assists) over that span and has 15 points (10 goals, five assists) during a current 11-game point streak over the regular season and playoffs combined.

Here are three underlying storylines surrounding Stankoven’s late-season production.

1. Shots by location

Stankoven leads Carolina and is tied for second in the entire NHL in high-danger shots on goal (seven) this postseason. He ranked highly among forwards in both high-danger shots on goal (60; 85th percentile) and high-danger goals (13; 83rd percentile) this regular season.

Stankoven also ranked highly in midrange shots on goal (70; 91st percentile) and midrange goals (seven; 84th percentile) this regular season. In 19 games during the 2024 postseason with the Stars, Stankoven scored two of his three goals from midrange zones and ranked in the 93rd percentile or higher among forwards in midrange shots on goal (15), long-range shots on goal (eight) and long-range goals (one).

2. Possession metrics

Stankoven is tied with Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche for the most team 5-on-5 shot attempts for among forwards when each has been on the ice (64) in the playoffs. Stankoven is also tied for the best team 5-on-5 shot attempts differential (plus-26) among forwards when he’s been on the ice this postseason.

The Hall-Stankoven-Blake line has outscored Ottawa 3-0 when they’ve been on the ice together at 5-on-5. Stankoven also ranks in the 94th percentile this postseason in miles skated in a single game (4.32 in Game 2, which went to double overtime) and ranked in the 97th percentile in offensive zone time percentage (47.3) this regular season.

3. Chemistry with linemates

Hall has assisted on each of Stankoven’s three goals this postseason, including two primary assists, while Blake has assisted on two of the goals, including the other primary assist.

Hall, who won the Hart Trophy with the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18, also excels in 20-plus mph speed bursts (leads Hurricanes with 17; sixth in entire NHL) this postseason, showing he's still a high-impact player at 34 years old.

Blake has the best even-strength offensive zone time percentage (47.6; 96th percentile) of the three linemates this postseason. Blake was tied with Hall for 10th in the entire NHL in offensive zone time percentage at all strengths (47.7) this regular season. 

Stankoven, who's emerging as a bona fide No. 2 center, could continue to be an X-factor for the Hurricanes as they seek their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since winning the championship in 2006.