Logan Stankoven of the Carolina Hurricanes is an early candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is handed to the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Adding to the weight of his breakout performance in Round 1 — four goals and five points in four games in a sweep of the Ottawa Senators — is his physical condition heading into the series.
“I was in bed for a few days just trying to fight that cold and hydrate as much as possible to get ready for the first games,” Stankoven said.
The 5-foot-8 forward from Kamloops said he was far from 100 percent in Game 1, suffering from fatigue and unable to maintain energy during long shifts.
He coped well, registering the first goal of the game, which was the first goal of the playoffs, as the Ottawa-Carolina contest led the way on the 2026 NHL post-season slate.
That goal marked the beginning of a trend.
Stankoven tallied the first goal in each of the first three games of the series, becoming the second player in league history to notch the game-opening marker in each of his team’s first three games of a post-season (Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward George Armstrong did it in 1956).
“I think it’s just being excited to play and mentally being prepared right from puck drop,” Stankoven said, noting he was nearing full health in time for Game 3. “It’s always a good feeling when your team scores first. You always want to play with a lead.”
The former Kamloops Blazers’ captain added a series-clinching dagger on the power play in Game 4 to push his point streak to 12 games.
“I think it’s just progressing as a player,” Stankoven said. “I feel like it’s kind of rolled over from the Olympic break. Down the stretch, pucks started to go in and I was starting to get the bounces. Beforehand, I was getting a lot of those chances, but they weren’t going in.”
Stankoven was asked for thoughts on increasing national media attention.
“It’s always good to have swagger and confidence,” he said. “My parents have brought me up to not be cocky or a showboat. It’s awesome to get the publicity and to have that spotlight, but I don’t think it changes who I am as a person or how I go about my game.”
Carolina was waiting for its second-round opponent — either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh — to be determined as of the Chronicle’s publication deadline.
Stankoven recovered from sickness in time for Round 2, but Stankoven fever’s grip on Kamloops tightens with every Hurricanes’ victory.
He feels side effects from afar.
“Yeah, it’s everything,” he said. “I’ve got tons of messages on all social media platforms and people reaching out. It’s pretty cool. I want nothing less than to bring a Cup back some day and share it with all the people who have supported me.”