Carolina Hurricanes’ 3 Stars of the Eastern Conference Final

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.

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 get into board battles shows how much his teammates appreciate him. Even with the Stars, his teammates spoke of how he is always puck hunting and never is afraid to throw hits against guys who are bigger than him.

That style of play is why general manager Eric Tulsky traded for him at the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7. His style of play fits well within the Hurricanes’ system, and is why Brind’Amour found it a nice fit to put him and his scoring touch on the line with the two best shutdown forwards on the Hurricanes in Martinook and Staal. Impressive first few months with the Hurricanes for Stankoven in the regular season and the playoffs, especially in the Eastern Conference Final as a rookie.

Second Star: Seth Jarvis

A frequent regular during the regular season series of “3 Stars of the Month” is in the last playoff edition of the season, which seems fitting. Seth Jarvis has been noticeable for the Hurricanes throughout the season and the playoffs. When narrowing it down to just the Eastern Conference Final, he has proven why he should belong in this latest edition. In the five games for the Hurricanes against the Panthers, he had two goals and six points in the series. In just over 92 minutes of ice time, Jarvis managed 111 shifts and had a 20% shooting percentage. What stood out the most for Jarvis was his ability to make some key plays on the defense to follow up his offensive numbers.

During the Eastern Conference Final, Jarvis tallied five blocks and 17 hits against the Panthers, who are known for being a physical team. Furthermore, the Panthers are a team that can block a ton of shots. Regarding Jarvis, he did just that while also putting up impressive numbers in the offensive zone. One of his two goals came on the power play, which was one of the questions for the Hurricanes entering the 2025 Playoffs. The stat that stood out about Jarvis’ overall game was that, despite the Hurricanes being outscored 21-10 in the series, he finished with an even rating. That’s including being outscored 16-4 in the first three games. For Jarvis, who averaged over 18 and a half minutes of ice time a night, to come out with an even rating is impressive. When it comes to the playoffs, team success is usually the first priority. However, in an instance like this, when there was a series like Jarvis had, especially over a point per game, it showed how he managed to step up even when the series went the way it did.

Jarvis is never satisfied and is always looking to work on his craft. During the exit interviews, he described that feeling of always finding ways to score in the NHL: “There are still definitely levels I want to get in that department, but I think just figuring out how to score in this league is one of the biggest challenges,” he shared. “The league’s always changing and goalies are getting better, so it’s always a work in progress, but I think figuring out different ways to score, scoring from different areas, and just overall expanding my game offensively that way has been something that I’ve put a lot of focus into. I’m glad I’m starting to see the benefits of it.”

First Star: Jaccob Slavin

After being a part of the “3 Stars of Round 2” for the Hurricanes, Jaccob Slavin is back and this time taking the first star spot. It is fitting for the Colorado native, showcasing what makes him one of the best defensive defenseman in the NHL. In the five games during the Eastern Conference Final, Slavin managed to take zero penalties throughout the series. What is even more impressive is that he took zero penalties in the 15 playoff games for the Hurricanes. One of Slavin’s best abilities is his availability, especially on the penalty kill, and he is always tasked with shutting down the best offensive players on the opposing team.

Slavin finished the series with a plus-3 rating. Considering the Panthers scored 21 goals in the Eastern Conference Final, being a plus player like that shows how much of a defensive stalwart he was. He played over 120 minutes of ice time, totaling 136 shifts throughout the five games, and as stated earlier, did not commit one penalty.