Hurricanes even Stanley Cup Final series with 5-3 victory over Golden Knights

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 in Game 4 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday, evening the series at 2-2. The victory shifts the remaining fixtures back to Raleigh, providing Carolina with a critical home-ice advantage as the contest enters its final stages.

Carolina established an early 2-0 lead in the first period, with Logan Stankoven scoring 66 seconds into the game and Jackson Blake doubling the advantage shortly after. This production from the top-six forwards addressed a scoring slump that had characterised the first three games, allowing the Hurricanes to build a cushion before facing a resilient Vegas side.

The Golden Knights narrowed the gap to 3-3 by the end of the second period, continuing a trend where they have outscored Carolina 9-1 in the second frame throughout the series. William Karlsson cut the lead to 2-1 early in the period, and Brett Howden tied the game with less than three minutes remaining, demonstrating Vegas’s capacity to mount comebacks.

Carolina regained control in the third period, where Jordan Staal scored the eventual game-winning goal just over six minutes in. Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-net goal to secure the 5-3 victory, while the Hurricanes’ defensive structure effectively prevented a late Vegas push despite the Golden Knights holding a 62.5% shot share in 5-on-5 play during the final period.

Goaltending decisions also played a pivotal role, with Rod Bussi replacing Frederik Andersen in the net. Bussi stopped 18 of 21 shots faced, including nine in the third period, while Pyotr Kochetkov was named backup with Andersen listed as a healthy scratch. This strategic shift highlighted the importance of depth, as Staal’s two-goal performance further underscored Carolina’s ability to generate scoring from beyond its top-six forwards.