While we’ve removed a few days from Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final (May 28), there are a lot of stories in the series to reflect on. More importantly, there is still a lot to be discussed about the Carolina Hurricanes, who were eliminated on Wednesday night by a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. While the series didn’t go as the team wanted, there were still some positive achievements that could take away Game 5 and could also be taken from the entire Eastern Conference finals.
Hurricane captain Jordan Staal said in an exit interview on Friday, May 30 that it was a season in general, “it’s a bit frustrating right now, just trying to unravel the season last month or so. What happened all season around. “We hope it gets easier, but there’s a chance to get better forever.” I think the groups we have and the performance this year, we have a great opportunity to take the next step. But yes, it’s been a positive year and it doesn’t end the way we want it to, but a lot of good stuff. ”
That being said, when it comes to the positive side, is the Eastern Conference Final 3 stars for the Hurricane?
Third Star: Logan Stankoven
Logan Stankoven felt his presence in the Eastern Conference final as one of the newcomers to the Hurricane. He scored two goals and three in five games against the Panthers. His two goals came from seven shots on the goal, with a shooting percentage of 28.6%. Stankoven averaged more than 15 and a half minutes per game, but there is still enough production to help the Hurricanes play in Game 5 in Raleigh. His two goals were in Game 3, with a 6-2 loss and a Hurricanes victory in Game 4.
Related: Carolina Hurricane 3 Star 2
In just 78 minutes of ice time, Stankovin had 106 transfers, most of which were placed on the closure line of Jordan Martinook and Staal. It can be said that the mission shows head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s ruthless mindset like Stankoven. Back to the Kamloops Trail Blazers in the Western Hockey League, and to the Texas star in the American Hockey League, he has been a bigger guy than him even now with the Dallas Stars and Hurricanes in the NHL. Stankoven’s mentality is always chasing the hockey, and the lack of fear of participating in board battles shows how much his teammates appreciate him. Even with the stars, his teammates talked about how he always hunted pucks and was never afraid to hit someone bigger than him.
This style of play is why General Manager Eric Tulsky traded for him on March 7 at the NHL trade deadline. His game style is perfect for the Hurricane system, which is why Brind’Amour thinks in Martinook and Staal’s Hurricanes, he found that the best distance between him and his score is perfect for him and his score touch. In the regular season and playoffs, the Hurricanes were the first few months and playoffs, especially in the Eastern Conference finals, as rookies.
Second Star: Seth Jarvis
It seems appropriate in the regular season series “3 stars of the month” regular season series, which is the last playoff version of the season. Seth Jarvis was evident in the Hurricanes throughout the season and during the playoffs. In narrowing it down to the Eastern Conference finals alone, he proved why he should be in the latest version. He scored two goals and six points in the series in five games against the Panthers. In just 92 minutes of ice time, Jarvis made 111 shifts and shot 20% from the field. What stands out most is his ability to play some key roles in defense to follow up on his offensive numbers.
In the Eastern Conference finals, Jarvis made five blocks and 17 hits against the Panthers, who is known for his physical team. Additionally, the Panthers are a team that can stop a lot of shots. Regarding Jarvis, he just put forward impressive numbers in the offensive zone. One of his two goals was in the Power Game, which was one of the issues with the Hurricanes entering the 2025 playoffs. Statistics about Jarvis’ overall game are that although the Hurricane surpassed 21-10 in the series, he scored evenly. This includes a 16-4 victory in the first three games. For Jarvis, he averaged over 18 minutes of ice per night, rating it evenly. When it comes to playoffs, team success is often a priority. But in such a case, when a series like Jarvis (especially every game), it shows that he managed to strengthen even as the series evolved.
Jarvis is never satisfied and is always looking for his craft. In the exit interview, he described the feeling of always finding ways to score in the NHL: “I definitely want to get a level in the department, but I think just wanting to know how to score in this league is one of the biggest challenges,” he shared. “The league is always changing, the goalkeepers get better, so it’s always a work going on, but I think finding out different scores, scores from different areas and the way I’m expanding my game in this way overall is something I’m very concerned about. I’m glad I’m starting to see the benefits of it.”
First Star: Jaccob Slavin
Jaccob Slavin is the first planet this time after he became part of Hurricane “Star 2”. It suits the Colorado man, showing him being one of the best defensive defenders in the NHL. Slaven managed to take zero free throws throughout the series in five games during the Eastern Conference finals. Even more impressive, he received zero free throws in 15 playoff games for the Hurricanes. One of Slavin’s best abilities is his usability, especially when it comes to free throw kills, he always tasked with closing the best offensive player on the opposing team.
Slavin completed the series with 3 ratings. Considering that the Panthers scored 21 goals in the Eastern Conference finals, it was a player like this, which shows that he was his defensive strength. He played 120 minutes of ice time and made a total of 136 turnovers throughout the five games, and as mentioned earlier, he was not fined.
Slaven averaged 24 minutes per game, with Game 4 (28 minutes) and Game 5 (25:38) taking up most of the average ice time. Usually you’ll see Slaven’s average at around 21 points, maybe 22 minutes per game in the high-end game. However, the game is gradually reaching the production level of Cale Makar on ice in more than 25 minutes. Regarding those games, it makes sense why Brind Amor had to double the Slaven in the last two games of the series. Due to injuries to Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker, the Hurricane had to turn to rookies Alexander Nikishin and Scott Morrow to replace them. question? Nikishin and Morrow both made their debut in the playoffs and were responsible for the Stanley Cup champions who dominated the defensively. They can do it for the most part, but in the end, Brind’Amour had to rely on his No. 1 defensive player to bring most of the ice time to the blue line.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes’ playoff exit interview
Finally, Slavin does his job as usual. Slavin put his body into the game during the series, with a total of 12 blocks, nine in Game 4 and six hits. He is not a guy to get hits, but in a series like this you never want to leave anything on the ice that can help the team win. Slavin throws everything and the kitchen sink helps the Hurricane win the series. Slavin has received a lot of praise for his defensive style, especially playing so many minutes in Games 4 and 5 and getting his stick skills to do that. Although he didn’t score any points in the series, it was all about closing down another team’s best player. It’s safe to say that he did his part, especially when it comes to a team that scored 21 goals in five games. Slavin should win the first goal in the final of the Eastern Conference after his defensive performance.
Next, the NHL draft
The next big event for the Hurricane will be the 2025 NHL Draft scheduled for June 27, 2025 and June 28, 2025. It will be held in the Peacock in Los Angeles, California. This will be the first batch of scattered drafts, with the team selecting at their own home court. However, when their names are called, the highest draft players will be present. Regarding the Hurricane, they will be ranked 29th in the first round. Interestingly, who will be selected in the draft picks, especially in all draft capitals that have been awarded this season.
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