Stankoven’s First Hat Trick Powers Defending Champs Past Canucks

RALEIGH — FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 — Logan Stankoven picked the perfect night for his first career hat trick — and did it the hard way. The Carolina winger scored short-handed, on the power play and at even strength, a natural hat trick in all three disciplines, as the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes ripped the Vancouver Canucks 7-2 on Thursday night at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. His third goal, with 8:24 remaining, was the 100th point of his NHL career.

02 Three Ways, One Night

The natural hat trick — three consecutive goals by one player, no one else scoring in between — is rare enough. Doing it short-handed, then on the power play, then at even strength is the kind of completeness that tells you everything about a player’s game. Stankoven killed penalties, ran a power-play unit and finished at five-on-five, all in one night, according to the Associated Press’ account of the game.

The sequence itself was a clinic. Carolina opened the scoring just 78 seconds in through K’Andre Miller, and Andrei Svechnikov followed with two first-period power-play goals only 2:14 apart — the kind of special-teams blitz that breaks a game open before the first intermission. But the night belonged to Stankoven, whose three goals came in the three disciplines, each one a different skill on display: the short-handed strike for anticipation and hustle, the power-play finish for poise, the even-strength goal for pure scoring touch.

The milestone layered on top: his third goal, beating the Canucks’ third-period goaltending change with 8:24 left, was the 100th point of his young NHL career. For a player still writing his first chapters, it was a signature night — the kind that gets remembered when the career retrospective gets written. The AP, Reuters, Sportsnet and the NHL’s own recap team all led their Thursday-night coverage with it.

Carolina didn’t need the drama. Beyond the headliners, Mark Jankowski added the other goal, Sean Walker posted the first four-assist game of his career, and Shayne Gostisbehere, Jackson Blake and Taylor Hall each had two helpers. Pyotr Kochetkov needed only 18 saves — the Canes controlled this one from the opening shift, and the 7-2 scoreline flattered the visitors.

03 A Rough Start to a Long Trip

For Vancouver, the night was a goaltending story in the worst way. Jake DeBrusk scored twice and Elias Pettersson had two assists — the Canucks’ best players did their part — but Kevin Lankinen stopped just 12 of 18 shots over two periods before giving way to Leevi Merilainen, who made 14 saves in the third. When your starter gets pulled down 7-2, the skaters’ two goals are a footnote, and the conversation after the game writes itself.

The loss opened a six-game road trip for the Canucks — the worst possible start to a long stretch away from home. Road trips are where seasons are steadied or lost; dropping the opener 7-2, with the goaltending in question and the defending champions doing the damage, puts immediate pressure on the next stop. They’ll need Lankinen, or Merilainen, to steal one early, or the trip could spiral before it reaches its midpoint.

There is a broader Western Conference picture here too. The Canucks came into Raleigh looking to bank points against an Eastern power; instead they leave with questions in net and a long flight to think about them. DeBrusk’s two goals are a positive — he’s scoring — but when your team gives up seven, individual bright spots don’t travel well.

04 The Champs Look Like Champs

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, head to Chicago on Saturday riding a three-game winning streak and looking every bit the defending champions. Per the AP and Sportsnet, Carolina holds that title — and on nights like Thursday, when the depth scoring hums, the special teams click and a young winger makes history three ways, it’s easy to see why.

What stands out about this Carolina team is the distribution. Stankoven’s hat trick got the headlines, but Svechnikov’s two power-play goals, Walker’s four assists and contributions from Miller, Jankowski, Gostisbehere, Blake and Hall speak to a roster with no soft minutes. Kochetkov’s 18-save night was quiet because the team in front of him gave Vancouver almost nothing clean.

Thursday’s other finals kept the conference races moving: Nashville beat Montreal 5-2 behind Ryan O’Reilly’s go-ahead power-play goal early in the third; the Islanders topped Chicago 4-1 as Bo Horvat scored twice; Ottawa edged Philadelphia 2-1 on a power-play winner; Boston thumped Utah 6-1 behind David Pastrnak’s two power-play goals and two assists; and Dallas blanked Buffalo 4-0. But none of those nights had a natural hat trick three ways — or a 100th career point. That was Raleigh’s alone.

Saturday in Chicago is the next test, and the question now is whether Thursday was a peak or a preview. Stankoven’s 100th point came with the completeness — short-handed, power play, even strength — that suggests a player adding layers, not just finishing chances. For the defending champions, that’s the most encouraging part of a 7-2 night: the kid who got his first hat trick might just be getting started.