Despite Toughening Matchups, Hurricanes' Second Line Continues To Dominate

TL;DR

The Carolina Hurricanes' second line, featuring Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake, and Taylor Hall, is dominating the NHL postseason with impressive scoring and shot metrics. They have a perfect 6-0 goal differential in 5v5 play, showcasing their offensive prowess.

Key points

Carolina Hurricanes' second line is dominating the NHL postseason
Logan Stankoven has 6 goals and 1 assist
Jackson Blake has 2 goals and 6 assists
Taylor Hall has 3 goals and 6 assists
The trio has a 6-0 goal edge in 5v5 play

Carolina HurricanesLogan StankovenJackson BlakeTaylor Hall

The Carolina Hurricanes' second line has been the hottest trio in the entire NHL this postseason.

Logan Stankoven (6g, 1a), Jackson Blake (2g, 6a) and Taylor Hall (3g, 6a) have been on an absolute heater and not only are they putting up points, but they're just absolutely burying teams in their minutes too.

In their 5v5 minutes, the trio has a 6-0 edge in goals, 42-24 edge in shots on goal, 20-9 edge in high-danger chances and their expected goals share is 71.92%.

They've just been incredibly dominant and teams are starting to take notice.

"When we are on the ice, we're trying to make a difference and help the team whether that's being responsible in our own zone or chipping in offensively," said Logan Stankoven, who scored in each of the Hurricanes' first five playoff games. "But yeah, I think teams are paying a bit more attention and so they are maybe putting more of a shutdown line on us."

After Game 1, where that line scored all three goals for Carolina, Philadelphia coach Rick Tocchet admitted that they needed to be harder on them in the next game.

"They're on a heater right now," Tocchet said. "We need to get in front of them and win battles. When you're playing a confident line like that, you have to make sure you're in front of them and you have to make it a tough night for them."

That line then scored the overtime winner in Game 2.

So far, nobody's been able to stop them, and it feels unlikely that that will change anytime soon, especially with the Flyers losing their top shutdown centerman in Noah Cates who was ruled out for the series.

In the first round series against the Ottawa Senators, the Stankoven line was hard matched against the Senators' best defensive line centered by , and for four games, they simply fed them their lunch.

Q&A

What are the statistics for the Hurricanes' second line in the postseason?

The second line has recorded 6 goals and 1 assist for Logan Stankoven, 2 goals and 6 assists for Jackson Blake, and 3 goals and 6 assists for Taylor Hall.

How dominant has the Hurricanes' second line been in 5v5 play?

They have a 6-0 goal edge, 42-24 advantage in shots on goal, and a 20-9 lead in high-danger chances during 5v5 play.

What is the expected goals share for the Hurricanes' second line?

Their expected goals share is 71.92%, indicating a strong offensive performance.

Who are the key players on the Hurricanes' second line?

The key players are Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake, and Taylor Hall.