Hurricanes squander fast start, fall to Vegas in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final
The Carolina Hurricanes waited 20 years for another trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
It took them 25 seconds to score in it, but they’re going to have to wait at least another two days for another win.
Nikolaj Ehlers’ early goal Tuesday had the Lenovo Center faithful on their feet and roaring, and Ehlers soon scored again as the decibel count soared, but Game 1 against Vegas was anything but a Canes breakaway. The Golden Knights regrouped, made the most of their chances and took a 5-4 victory at Lenovo Center.
Tomas Hertl’s goal with 3:24 left in regulation was the winner in a tight-checking, hard-fought game. Hertl took a pass from Colton Sissons on a give-and-go and beat Canes goalie Frederik Andersen with a shot from the slot.
Game 2 is set Thursday at Lenovo Center before the series moves to Las Vegas for two games.
“That’s a good team and I thought they played a little better than us and had an aggressive forecheck,” Canes captain Jordan Staal said. “There were some good things we had, and the game’s there. But we’ve got to be better.”
The Canes came into game 12-1 in the playoffs, their loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the first game of the Eastern Conference final. But they reeled off four straight wins to reach the Cup Final for the first time since 2006, Carolina’s Cup-winning season, and it had been celebration time in “Raleighwood” the past few days
It was a party scene outside the arena before Tuesday’s game, with a band to liven things up, and again thousands tailgating.
After formal introductions of the starters — and loud boos for Vegas goalie Carter Hart — they finally dropped the puck, and it was game on.
It was 3-3 after two periods in a game of ebbs and flows — the Canes with the better first period, the Golden Knights controlling much of the second. It was a duel of forechecks from mirror-image teams and the Golden Knights in the end caused more problems than the home team.
“We didn’t handle their pressure particularly well,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We made some poor decisions with the puck and they capitalized. Obviously, that was the game, right?”
Brett Howden’s pushed Vegas ahead early in the third after the Golden Knights hemmed the Canes into their zone. Howden’s redirection of Shea Theodore’s pass came at 1:21 of the period, which began with the Canes killing off the remainder of a penalty and unable to make a full change.
A goal by Shayne Gostisbehere again tied it, the defenseman jumping on a loose puck in the left circle after a faceoff in the Vegas zone.
It was a gritty game, more grinding than free-flowing. But that should be the nature of a series that matches two teams that value the puck and are stubborn in giving up good shots against.
With his first goal, Ehlers became the second player on record in NHL playoff history to score on his first shot to start the Cup Final. With his second, he became the first player since Al MacInnis of Calgary in 1989 to score twice in the first period of an opening game in the Cup final.
Defenseman Jalen Chatfield had assists on both goals — his first multi-point playoff game.
Vegas shakes off rust
The Golden Knights, after sweeping the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final, were playing their first game in a week. It showed. They were a half-step slow in the opening period, managing four shots on goal and fumbling the puck a few times, but maintained their poise and patience, Vegas coach John Tortorella said.
“They’re calm, they’ve won before, they’ve been in this situation,” he said. “The guys of our team has been through this before, We were down 2-0, there wasn’t panic on the bench.”
Vegas got a break when a shot by defenseman Shea Theodore hit the leg of Canes forward Eric Robinson in front of the crease and got past Andersen. The Canes’ lead was 2-1 after the first.
“That was a great start,” Brind’Amour said. “Then we had a pretty bad turnover to get them back in the game. There was no reason for it. We weren’t under siege there, and we kind of tossed it away and they made us pay on it.”
It was all Vegas early in the second as the Canes were caught out of position defensively in their zone and the Golden Knights made the most of it, Ivan Barbashev scored 30 seconds into the period, and William Karlsson at 4:35 off a sharp setup pass from Mitch Marner.
Just like that, Vegas had the lead. But the Canes had an answer before the second period ended.
Defenseman K’Andre Miller picked off a Noah Hanifin pass near the Vegas blue line and quickly got the puck to Staal near the left circle. Staal wristed a shot past Hart and let out a big howl after his third goal of the playoffs.
Staal’s oldest brother, Eric, was picked to sound the warning siren before the start of Game 1. Eric Staal starred on the Canes’ 2006 Cup champions and gladly handled the siren assignment.
But it proved to be the Golden Knights’ night. No road team in Cup Final history had won Game 1 after being down two goals., going 0-55. Vegas changed that.
All-Star Weekend to have new format
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, in Raleigh for the Cup Final, said Tuesday that the 2027 All-Star Weekend will be held Feb. 5-6 at UBS Arena and hosted by the New York Islanders.
A new format will include five teams competing in a 3-on-3 tournament. Teams from the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden, plus a “World” team of international players — including Russian players — will play a round-robin event. The winning team will receive top prize of $2 million.
Bettman said an All-Star Weekend would be held every two years.
Butterflies are real
Brind’Amour played for a Stanley Cup, and now is coaching for one with the Canes.
Were the butterflies the same going into Game 1?
“Surprisingly, yes,” Brind’Amour said Tuesday after the Canes’ morning skate at Lenovo Center. “I have no impact on this game at all other than I prepare the team, and I’m sitting there and have a better seat than you (media) do. But I do have the butterflies. Which is good.
“You want that. If you don’t have them, what would you be in this game for? It’s an exciting time.”
Brind’Amour was 35 and the captain of the Hurricanes when they claimed the Stanley Cup in 2006. He had long sought the Cup as a player and was just as happy for teammates such as Glen Wesley, Bret Hedican and others winning the Cup for the first time in their long careers.
Now, he wants it for another group of Canes players who have had the same hockey dream and have their chance against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Final.
“There’s a long way to go, but you do want it for these guys,” Brind’Amour said. “When you win a Stanley Cup, you’re brothers for life, and it takes on a whole new meaning, That’s what we’re here for, and I’d love to get it for these guys.”
Strength vs strength in special teams
One of the critical areas of this Stanley Cup Final could be the Canes’ penalty-killing against the Vegas power play, strength versus strength in special teams.
Carolina’s penalty kill checked in at 92.5% for the playoffs prior to Game 1. The Golden Knights had converted 23.9% (11-of-46) of their power plays.
The Canes, especially with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis on the PK, will look for shorthanded chances, and are good at it. But can Carolina be aggressive against the Golden Knights?
“You’ve got to kill the penalty first,” Brind’Amour said Tuesday. “That’s been our philosophy the whole time.
“We give our guys the green light, obviously. If you have your chance you’re going to look for it, but you’re not going out there thinking about scoring against those guys. You’ve got to kill the penalty first.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 2:55 PM with the headline "Hurricanes squander fast start, fall to Vegas in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final."
