Vegas Golden Knights win Game 1

The Vegas Golden Knights opened the Stanley Cup Final with a 5-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, June 2, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Tomas Hertl scored the go-ahead goal with 3:24 remaining in the third period, giving Vegas a 1-0 series lead. Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb each had three points for the Golden Knights, while Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice for Carolina. Game 2 is set for Thursday, June 4, with Vegas also announcing an official watch party at T-Mobile Arena. ### How did Vegas take Game 1 on the road? Tomas Hertl put Vegas ahead for good with 3:24 left in regulation after a give-and-go with Colton Sissons, according to NHL.com. The goal came 21 seconds after goalie Carter Hart stopped Seth Jarvis on a one-timer from the right circle to keep the score tied 4-4. (nhl.com) The Golden Knights finished with five goals on 23 shots, while Carolina had four goals on 29 shots. Vegas took home-ice advantage away from the Hurricanes with the road win in the opener. ### Which Vegas players drove the result besides Hertl? Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb each recorded three points for Vegas in Game 1, NHL.com reported. (nhl.com) Hertl scored the decisive goal, and the Golden Knights got enough offense across their lineup to survive a game in which Carolina scored four times. (nhl.com) Carter Hart made the late save on Jarvis before Hertl’s winner at the other end. That sequence, detailed in the NHL recap, preserved the tie long enough for Vegas to strike back almost immediately. ### What did Carolina get, and where did it fall short? Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice for the Hurricanes in the loss, giving Carolina a major offensive push in a game that stayed tight into the final minutes. (nhl.com) ABC11 said the Hurricanes entered Thursday looking for more from their top line after dropping the opener. Carolina still outshot Vegas 29-23, but the Hurricanes allowed five goals after entering the Final off a dominant run through the Eastern Conference. CBS Sports described Game 1 as a 5-4 Vegas win that put the Golden Knights ahead 1-0 in the series. ### When is Game 2, and what comes next in Vegas? Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for Thursday, June 4, according to CBS Sports’ series schedule. (nhl.com) ABC11’s live coverage also listed Thursday as the next game after Carolina’s Game 1 loss. (nhl.com) The Golden Knights said on June 3 that they will host an official watch party inside T-Mobile Arena for Game 2. Doors open at 4 p.m. PT and puck drop is set for 5 p.m. PT, according to the team announcement. ### Why does the opener matter in this series? (cbssports.com) Vegas now leads the best-of-seven final 1-0 after winning the opener in Raleigh. CBS Sports and NHL.com both listed the Golden Knights as carrying that series edge into Thursday’s Game 2. Thursday’s next marker is straightforward: Carolina tries to level the series at home, and Vegas tries to return from Raleigh with a 2-0 lead before the series shifts forward. (nhl.com) The Golden Knights’ watch party at T-Mobile Arena begins before the 5 p.m. PT puck drop on June 4. (cbssports.com)