It's time to appreciate what Jeff Skinner is doing for the Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes are Jeff Skinner's team.

The seeds were planted back in 2011, when he stole the show and Hurricanes fans' hearts on home ice at the All-Star Game as an injury replacement for Sidney Crosby - months before winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's surprise rookie of the year.

While a string of concussions kept him from matching the production levels of his first season, questions were raised along the way about his long-term future with the team, with local reporters advocating for a trade.

But with the departure of Eric Staal last season amid a personal resurgence for a healthy Skinner, it became clear the faith demonstrated by the Hurricanes in the young forward was about to reap a rich harvest.

Case in point: Skinner's two goals in less than a minute against Buffalo on Friday en route to his second straight three-point performance and, more importantly, a Carolina win.

"He took the game over, in my opinion. He was just that dominant. He has the capability of doing that," goalie Cam Ward said after the game, per Michael Smith of the team's website. "He's been one of, if not our best player all season long.

"To see him get a couple goals and achieve a milestone on his part too is pretty impressive," Ward added, referring to the fact Skinner recorded his 300th career point in the win.

High praise from the team's longest-tenured player.

The win gave the Hurricanes a 13-1-1 record in the past 15 home games, and kept the team well within reach of a playoff berth. Carolina sits three points back of Philadelphia for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, with two games in hand.

And it's Skinner who leads the team in scoring with 17 goals and 35 points in 41 games, putting him on pace for 34 goals and 69 points - both of which would mark career highs. He's also on pace to smash his previous high in shots, averaging 3.6 per night. Health permitting, he's one of the most consistent scorers in the game, and fun to watch as a bonus.

Make no mistake: head coach Bill Peters preaches a full team effort, and general manager Ron Francis has amassed talented young players both on the blue line and up front. And while it's Justin Faulk who will represent Carolina at the All-Star Game again this season, Skinner is asserting himself as the franchise player, while leading the Hurricanes to their first playoff appearance since 2009 would go a long way toward proving the team should be taken seriously.