The Carolina Hurricanes are on the brink of elimination in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Carolina has lost 15 straight games in the Eastern Conference Finals dating back to 2009. They need a win against the Florida Panthers in Game 4, and rookie Logan Stankoven stepped up to draw first blood.

Stankoven scored the first goal of the game on Monday. He retrieved the puck ahead of the blueline and found some space in the offensive zone. He received nearly no challenge from Florida's defense. This gave him the time needed to pick his spot, and he did not miss.

This goal is notable for the Hurricanes. It gave them a needed 1-0 lead, which they held through the second intermission. Moreover, Stankoven made franchise history with this shot. He is the third rookie in team history to score five or more goals in a single postseason, according to team reporter Walt Ruff. Erik Cole and Warren Foegele are the other rookies to achieve this feat.

Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven is making an impact

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Stankoven arrived in Carolina with some added pressure. He came over in the Mikko Rantanen trade between the Hurricanes and Dallas Stars back in March. The 22-year-old is the only immediate NHL-caliber talent the team received in the deal. And the circumstances around Rantanen's trade to Dallas certainly didn't take any pressure off the young center.

So far, though, Stankoven has made an impact. He scored five goals and nine points in his 19 regular season games in Carolina. And he currently has five goals and eight points in 14 postseason contests. This includes a two-goal effort in the Hurricanes' first playoff game this year.

Stankoven is a long-term piece for the Hurricanes. He could be one of the team's next franchise cornerstones alongside Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho. It will certainly be interesting to see how he concludes the postseason if Carolina can force Game 5 against the Panthers on Monday.