Carolina Hurricanes’ 3 Stars of Round 2

It’s another playoff edition of the 3 Stars as the Carolina Hurricanes swept the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They defeated them 3-2 in overtime in Game 4 on Saturday, May 9, for their eighth straight win of the postseason. That said, just like in Round 1, who stood out in Round 2 as the Hurricanes head to the Eastern Conference Final?

Third Star: Frederik Andersen

When it came to picking the “3 Stars” of Round 2, it was tough to decide who to add and where they would be placed. In the instance of Frederik Andersen, he has an argument for being anywhere on the list, especially since he allowed only five goals in four games. Furthermore, he earned his second shutout of the playoffs in Game 1 against the Flyers in the 3-0 win.

So far in the playoffs, Andersen has an 8-0-0 record with a 1.12 goals-against average (GAA) and a .950 save percentage (SV%). In the second round alone, Andersen went 4-0-0 with a 1.14 GAA and a .945 SV%. He averaged 21.5 saves a game while allowing only 1.3 goals on average in the four games. Andersen made 86 saves on 91 shots from the Flyers to keep his dominant form going.

There is a strong case to be made for Andersen to be higher on the stars list. However, when it comes to the next two players, it makes sense to have the Danish netminder as the third star for Round 2.

Second Star: Taylor Hall

After tallying two goals and six points in 15 playoff games last season, Taylor Hall is playing on another level in 2026. Through eight games, Hall leads the team with 12 points, along with his nine assists. In seven fewer games, he has already doubled his point total, while being on one of the hottest lines in the playoffs. His plus-10 is also the team lead as his line has only been scored on one time while on the ice.

In Round 2, Hall had four assists, five points, was a plus-5, and scored the game-winning goal in Game 2, a 3-2 win in overtime. After finishing as the first star in Round 1, Hall keeps on playing MVP-like hockey for the Hurricanes as they head to the Eastern Conference Final. He had a chance for the first star again, but it was someone on his line who took it to another level.

First Star: Jackson Blake

Following sharing third star honors in Round 1, Jackson Blake had himself a second round against the Flyers. He became the youngest player in Hurricanes history to score a series-clinching goal at 22 years old. Through eight playoff games, Blake has four goals, seven assists, and 11 points. He is second on the team in goals (Logan Stankoven – seven), and second in assists and points. Blake went to another realm during Round 2 against the Flyers as he tallied seven points, which led the team.

Blake was named the NHLPA Playoff Performer of the Series following the sweep. He had three multi-point games in the series, along with averaging 1.75 points per game, which led the team. Furthermore, his six even-strength points also led the team, while being the first star in Game 4 and the second star in Game 1.