Golden Knights edge Hurricanes in Stanley Cup Final opener
Tomas Hertl scores late winner as Vegas takes 1-0 series lead despite Carolina’s early dominance
The Vegas Golden Knights secured a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday, ending a period of dampened playoff enthusiasm with a high-scoring spectacle at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Despite the Hurricanes establishing an early two-goal lead, the Golden Knights overcame three separate deficits to claim the win, with Tomas Hertl scoring the game-winning goal with less than four minutes remaining.
Carolina opened the scoring just 25 seconds into the first period through Nikolaj Ehlers, a moment that tied for the eighth-fastest goal in Stanley Cup Final history. Ehlers extended the Hurricane lead shortly after, but Vegas responded with a goal from Shea Theodore late in the first period to cut the deficit to 2-1. The momentum shifted further in the second period when Jordan Staal scored his first Stanley Cup Final goal in 17 years to tie the game.
The third period saw continued volatility as Brett Howden scored to give Vegas a 4-3 lead early in the frame. Ivan Barbashev and William Karlsson then scored within five minutes of each other to extend the Golden Knights' advantage. However, Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game at 4-4 midway through the period, setting the stage for Hertl’s decisive strike late in the game.
Underlying metrics highlighted the chaotic nature of the contest, with the Golden Knights finishing with a 39.7% shot share despite holding only a 33.3% share in the first period. The Hurricanes’ leading points scorer through the first three rounds finished with just two shots, and their second line, featuring Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake, was held pointless with a collective six shots.
The victory marks the opening win for Vegas in the series, extending their current postseason run to four straight series victories. The Golden Knights had previously swept the Western Conference finals against the Colorado Avalanche, who held the best record in the NHL regular season. Brett Howden, who leads the postseason in goals with 11, provided a secondary assist on the tying goal before his own tally.
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for Thursday, as both teams look to adjust following a match defined by uncharacteristic turnovers and rapid momentum swings.
