Hurricanes cdenter Logan Stankoven chases the puck with Blue Jackets forward Danton Heinen during Carolina’s 5-1 win Thursday in Raleigh. (Karl DeBlaker / AP Photo)

RALEIGH — The Blue Jackets picked up a convincing win over the Hurricanes in mid-March.

Carolina reminded them who the top team in the Eastern Conference is this week — and clinched a return to the postseason for an eighth straight season along the way.

Logan Stankoven scored twice in the first nine minutes, and the Hurricanes completed a home-and-home sweep of Columbus with a 5-1 win Thursday at Lenovo Center.

“We definitely started on time and we got the lead there,” said Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho, whose two assists gave him 400 for his career. “That was pretty much the game, right? We never let them come back. It was a good game. And obviously, two big points to  be able to clinch, and that’s great.”

The Hurricanes — who won 5-2 in Columbus on Tuesday — needed fewer than 13 minutes to jump out to a 3-0 lead, and it started with Stankoven.

After Carolina got the puck deep in the Columbus zone, Taylor Hall worked the puck back to K’Andre Miller at the left point. Miller snapped a quick shot to the net, and Stankoven cut in front of Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins (16 saves) and redirected the shot in for his 16th goal of the season at 2:27 of the first period.

“I think not being afraid to get in there,” Stankoven said of his willingness to get to the front of the net. “It is hard at times. The bigger guys and a lot of the D-men are taught to box out well. So I just try and get underneath and get good positioning first, and then hopefully the shot gets through. And you never know what can happen.”

Stankoven wasn’t done scoring in front.

Carolina winger Jackson Blake stole the puck from Columbus defenseman Egor Zamula in the corner of the Blue Jackets’ zone and set Hall up for a chance in front. Merzlikins made the stop, but Stankoven pounced on the rebound and banged it in for his 17th at 8:52.

“(Blake) being able to pull that puck out of the corner and then make a nice play and (Hall) bringing it to the net,” Stankoven said. “I’ve had chances in previous games to score and I wasn’t able to. So when you do get a chance like that, you make sure it goes in the back of the net.”

Columbus got the game’s first power play when Miller was called for holding, but it was the Hurricanes who capitalized.

Aho led an odd-man rush up ice before handing the puck off to Seth Jarvis. Alexander Nikishin jumped into play, and Jarvis passed to him on the left wing. Nikishin snapped a far-side shot that found the top corner for his 11th goal of the year at 12:50.

With the goal, Nikishin became the first rookie defenseman in franchise history to score a shorthanded goal, Carolina’s 11th of the season, tying Calgary for the most in the NHL.

“(Nikishin) definitely has that offensive instinct and unbelievable shot, so a great play by him not to just chuck it away,” Aho said. “He kind of took a second, and if there’s a chance to score off the rush, it doesn’t matter if you’re shorthanded or on the power play or even strength, that’s go time. … And obviously good on him to put that in.”

Not only were the Hurricanes piling up goals — they also limited Columbus to 10 shots, tied for the fewest in the NHL this season.

“It’s all about what you give up, and I think we got a really solid start,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

The closest the Blue Jackets got was two goals when they scored their lone goal just past the midway point of regulation.

Defenseman Denton Mateychuk jumped on a rebound to score his 13th of the season at 11:24 of the second period to make it 3-1. But Jordan Martinook responded with his 12th of the year 13 seconds later, flinging a point shot at the net that hit Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski’s stick and went in to reestablish Carolina’s three-goal lead at 4-1.

Carolina then sealed it in the third period when Shayne Gostisbehere jumped out of the box and Andrei Svechnikov came off the bench to join a rush led by Aho. Aho dished to Gostisbehere, who one-touched a pass over to Svechnikov. He quickly released the puck and beat Merzlikins for his 27th goal of the season, extending Carolina’s goal streak to eight games.

Brind’Amour said the other streak of eight — the team’s consecutive seasons in the playoffs — shouldn’t be overlooked even though there’s a bigger goal for the team.

“Those two months are the most important that we’re going to get to play in,” he said of the playoffs. “But you have to get there and to put the mental and physical grind in every day to do that. It’s a huge accomplishment.”

Notes: Frederik Andersen stopped 9 of 10 shots, the fewest saves he’s had to make in a 60-minute win in his career. … Stankoven won 6 of 8 playoffs. … Hall had two assists. … Gostisbehere and Miller each took two minor penalties. Forwards Nicolas Deslauriers and Jesperi Kotkaniemi and defenseman Mike Reilly were healthy scratches for Carolina.