Stankoven scores twice as Hurricanes beat Canucks 6-3 in Vancouver
Logan Stankoven, Nikolaj Ehlers and Nicolas Deslauriers scored twice each as Carolina pulled away in the third period on Stankoven’s return to his home province.
The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-3 in Vancouver on Tuesday, October 20, as Logan Stankoven scored twice in his home province and Carolina broke a 3-3 tie in the third period. Nikolaj Ehlers and Nicolas Deslauriers also scored twice for the Hurricanes, the Canadian Press reported.
The defeat extended Vancouver’s losing skid to eight games. Carolina improved to 8-2-1, while the Canucks fell to 2-8-1. The Hurricanes had also beaten Vancouver 7-2 on October 8 and have now won six straight meetings between the teams dating back to October 2024, according to the Canadian Press.
How Carolina pulled away in the third period
Stankoven opened the scoring 4:44 into the first period after Jackson Blake set him up. Linus Karlsson equalized for Vancouver before Ehlers restored Carolina’s lead. Jonathan Lekkerimaki tied the game again with two seconds left in the period, sending the teams to the break at 2-2.
Deslauriers put Carolina ahead early in the second period after Jesperi Kotkaniemi intercepted a clearing attempt and passed to him. It was Deslauriers’ first goal since April 2025, according to the Canadian Press. Max Sasson then brought Vancouver level at 3-3.
Deslauriers scored the go-ahead goal 4:07 into the third after receiving a pass from Bradly Nadeau. Ehlers added an unassisted goal, then set up Stankoven’s empty-net finish with just over two minutes remaining. Blake finished with three assists.
Stankoven’s home-province return and Vancouver’s chances
Stankoven, from Kamloops, British Columbia, drew audible cheers from a section of the crowd when he scored the opener, the Canadian Press reported. Sportsnaut described friends, family and supporters from his junior hockey days attending the game. His second goal completed Carolina’s scoring after Vancouver had twice erased a Hurricanes lead.
Vancouver goalie Leevi Merilainen stopped a Sebastian Aho penalty shot in the second period. Carolina’s Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 14 of 17 shots; late in the second, he also caught a Drew O’Connor shot that the Canadian Press identified as a chance for Vancouver to take the lead.
The Canucks entered with the league’s worst penalty kill at 58.1 per cent, but killed off three Carolina power plays in the second period and a double minor in the third, according to the Canadian Press. Ehlers briefly left the ice after contact along the boards in the second period, appearing to favor his right leg, then returned after speaking with a trainer.
Both teams are scheduled to play again Thursday, October 22: Vancouver hosts the Detroit Red Wings, and Carolina visits the Edmonton Oilers, the Canadian Press reported.
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Sources and context
- Stankoven Gets One Heck of a Homecoming as Hurricanes Overcome Canucks in Late-Night GameSportsnaut (republished via Yahoo Sports; Reuters Connect image credit, but article body is by Rachel Barkley)
- Hurricanes hand slumping Canucks 6-3 lossGlobal News (Canadian Press report)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.