Just like the Carolina Hurricanes had intended, their midseason trade acquisition scored goals in the playoffs. No, not Mikko Rantanen, who never wanted anything to do with the Hurricanes. It was the guy who Carolina got in return for Rantanen.

When center Logan Stankoven arrived in Carolina last month, general manager Eric Tulsky said, “he was born to be a Carolina Hurricane” because of his aggressiveness and willingness to chase pucks. And despite standing at 5-foot-8 and 165 lbs, Stankoven isn’t afraid to throw his body around.

While Tulsky didn’t want to move on from Rantanen, who has been one of the top point producers since he entered the league, he found a player who seamlessly fit into the Hurricanes’ dump-and-chase philosophy.

So it was fitting, a day after Rantanen was a -2 in the Dallas Stars’ 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, Stankoven scored two goals in the Hurricanes’ 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils in Game 1 of the first round at Lenovo Center Sunday afternoon.

“He’s a smart player,” said captain Jordan Staal. “Without the puck, he’s in good spots, he helps when he can, and pressures the puck well. I’ve played in this system a long time, and it’s kind of ingrained in me, but he’s caught this pretty quick.”

Even though Stankoven is considered a rookie, he was a key part of the Stars’ run to the Western Conference finals last season. He scored three goals and totaled eight points, proving he could be effective when the games became more intense. With two goals in his Hurricanes playoff debut, Stankoven continued to show he’s meant for the playoff stage.

“I love playing in big games and meaningful hockey,” Stankoven said. “I’m motivated to try and contribute in any way possible, and it’s always a nice feeling to get on the scoresheet.”

Initially, Stankoven was inserted onto the top line in his debut with the Canes, but after a few games, head coach Rod Brind’Amour found a spot in the lineup for him, and it’s where he’s thrived ever since. Alongside Staal and left wing Jordan Martinook, Stankoven provides offensive punch while Staal and Martinook provide size to shut down the opposing team’s top lines.

“It’s nice having a couple of big bodies on my line,” Stankoven said. “They do such a good job of creating space for me, and I think we can thrive down low.”

In the last few games of the regular season, Stankoven was playing different linemates because Carolina opted to rest multiple key players with its playoff seed and matchup secured. The decision from head coach Rod Brind’Amour paid off when a fully healthy Canes team got on the board 2:24 into the first period.

Off a faceoff draw, Chatfield collected the puck and snapped a shot from the blue line that had eyes for the back of the net. Needing no deflections, Chatfield’s shot put the Canes up early and got the Caniacs into the game.

“We were ready to go, and that first goal I think is huge,” Brind’Amour said. “It just allows you to kind of keep staying the course.”

Chatfield’s goal set the tone for what was a dominant opening 40 minutes for the Hurricanes. By the second intermission, the Canes had outshot the Devils 38-13. The +25 goal differential is the highest in franchise history through two periods.

New Jersey was, and will be, without key players such as center Jack Hughes and defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, but they are still a team with playoff experience — too much experience to be as caught off guard as they were in Game 1.

Unlike defenseman Dougie Hamilton and center Erik Haula, who were on the Devils the last time the two met in the playoffs, defenseman Brett Pesce and right wing Stefan Noesen made their playoff debuts with their new team against their former team after signing in New Jersey this past offseason.

Hamilton and Haula already knew, but Pesce and Noesen had to learn the hard way that in the playoffs, there is no love lost.

Stankoven’s first goal, 6:37 into the second, doubled the Canes’ lead on a shot that squeaked under the arm of Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom. Goal No. 2, however, was really Stanky.

With a power play coming to an end, Stankoven received a pass and fired a snap shot off the post and in. His second of the evening gave the Canes a chokehold on the game, as the Devils looked for answers.

New Jersey center Nico Hischier brought some semblance of life when, at 18:51 of the second, he fired a shot over the glove of Canes goaltender Frederik Andersen to cut it to 3-1. Hischier’s perfectly placed shot was all that got past Andersen in his 23-save performance.

While not tested much in the opening two periods, Andersen had his work cut out for him in the third, but thwarted all of the Devils’ chances. He blanked them in the third and remained steadfast before Svechnikov sealed the game with an empty-net goal.

The Canes will look to hold serve on home ice when it gets to Game 2 on Tuesday. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m.