Hurricanes vs. Canucks: Logan Stankoven's Natural Hat Trick Headlines a 7-2 Carolina Rout

Logan Stankoven did not just score a hat trick on Thursday night. He completed the full hockey bingo card: one goal shorthanded, one on the power play, one at even strength, all in a row, with nobody else scoring in between.

Stankoven's natural hat trick, the first three-goal game of his career, headlined a 7-2 demolition as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vancouver Canucks at Lenovo Center. Andrei Svechnikov scored twice on the power play, Sean Walker set up four goals, and the reigning Stanley Cup champions finally got to celebrate a win in their own building on their third try.

Ten Minutes, Three Goals, Game Over

Carolina had not held a lead in either of its first two home games, per the AP. That drought lasted 78 seconds. William Carrier deflected a Walker shot that rang off the post and the crossbar, and K'Andre Miller pounced on the rebound from the left circle for his first goal of the season.

Then the power play went to work. With Drew O'Connor off for tripping, Svechnikov cleaned up the rebound of a Shayne Gostisbehere one-timer and beat Kevin Lankinen high with a quick forehand-to-backhand move at 7:11. Linus Karlsson took a hooking call at 9:20, and five seconds later Svechnikov was jamming a Jackson Blake cross-ice feed home at the right post. Two goals in 2:14 and a 3-0 lead before the 10-minute mark.

"As soon as I got that puck, I kind of wanted to shoot it right away," Svechnikov said of his first goal, adding that Lankinen's slide made him switch to the backhand.

Vancouver coach Manny Malhotra did not need the replay to know what happened.

"Obviously, it's a huge momentum shift giving up three goals in the first 10 minutes," Malhotra said. "They punish you at every turn if you leave the door open a little."

Mark Jankowski made it 4-0 at 3:20 of the second, beating Lankinen on the short side off a Jesperi Kotkaniemi feed. Jake DeBrusk answered 43 seconds later with a slick bit of skate-to-stick work and a shot over a sprawling Pyotr Kochetkov, and for a moment Vancouver had a sliver of hope.

Stankoven Takes Over

That sliver lasted until 13:13 of the second.

With Jalen Chatfield in the box and Carolina shorthanded, Walker threaded a pass past Vancouver defenseman Filip Hronek, and Stankoven cut to the net and found the top of it for a 5-1 lead. It was the first shorthanded goal of his career, according to the AP.

He was not done. With 58 seconds left in the period and Max Sasson serving a cross-checking minor, Taylor Hall's no-look backhand found him, and up into the roof it went for 6-1. Midway through the third, Hall and Walker set him up again, and at 11:36 Stankoven snapped one home from between the circles for the natural hat trick and a 7-1 lead.

NHL.com noted Stankoven became the fourth player in franchise history with an even-strength, power-play and shorthanded goal in the same game, joining Sebastian Aho, Erik Cole and Sandis Ozolinsh. It was also the NHL's 15th natural hat trick on record featuring all three types of goals, and the only other player to pull one off over the last five seasons was Bo Horvat. The AP added that the three goals pushed Stankoven to 100 career points.

"I think a lot of it is confidence and preparation as well. It's a hard league, and you're not going to be able to score every night," Stankoven said. "Some great plays from my linemates as well, so a fun night."

Coach Rod Brind'Amour was not shocked. Since March 31 of last season, including the playoffs, Stankoven has 22 goals in 32 games.

"That's impressive," Brind'Amour said, pointing to "his willingness to keep getting better, his work ethic."

Walker deserves his own paragraph. Four assists, a plus-2 and 21:23 of ice time from a defenseman who, per the AP, had never recorded more than two assists in a game. NHL.com called it a career high for points in a game. Gostisbehere, Blake and Hall added two assists apiece.

Turning Point: The Shorthanded Dagger

DeBrusk's goal had cut it to 4-1, and when Chatfield was called for interference at 12:13 of the second, Vancouver had a real chance to make it a two-goal game and change the mood. Instead, the Canucks gave up a shorthanded goal 60 seconds into their own power play.

That is the hockey equivalent of a plot twist in which the hero trips over his own cape. Stankoven said the penalty kill role is a new wrinkle he is embracing.

"I want to be a more versatile player, and I think getting the opportunity to penalty kill now is awesome," Stankoven said.

Stats That Matter

• 3-for-3: Carolina's power play. Vancouver went 0-for-4 and gave up a shorthanded goal.
• 4 assists: Walker's total, a career-high points night per NHL.com.
• 33-20: Shots on goal in Carolina's favor.
• 6 goals on 18 shots: What Lankinen allowed through two periods before Leevi Merilainen took over and stopped 14 of 15 in the third.
• 26-13: Giveaways, Carolina vs. Vancouver. The Hurricanes were careless with the puck at times, and it did not matter one bit.

What It Means

Carolina improves to 3-1-1 and 1-1-1 at home with three straight wins, following a 6-4 victory at Montreal on Tuesday. The special teams were the story, and Walker said so plainly.

"Special teams were great all night," Walker said.

Brind'Amour also loved seeing Svechnikov produce early. "We say it a lot every year, we need him on the score sheet," he said, adding that "when you score, it takes a lot of stress off the whole group."

Vancouver falls to 2-3-0 and opened a six-game road trip in the worst possible way. DeBrusk scored both goals and Elias Pettersson had two assists, but DeBrusk was honest about how little that meant.

"It's kind of hard to feel good during that type of game," DeBrusk said. "But it's nice to see it go in."

Vancouver visits New Jersey on Saturday, and Carolina heads to Chicago on Saturday night.

Closing Take

Every great team has a night when everything it touches turns into a highlight, and this was Carolina's. But the real headline is Stankoven, who has quietly turned into a guy who scores in every situation the rulebook allows. A natural hat trick with one of each flavor is the hockey version of hitting for the cycle. The Canucks were simply in the wrong arena at the wrong time.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Game details from the Associated Press and NHL.com; postgame quotes as reported by NHL.com.