Golden Knights beat Hurricanes 5-4

The Vegas Golden Knights opened the Stanley Cup Final by erasing an early Carolina lead and leaving Raleigh with a 5-4 win in Game 1 on Tuesday, June 2. Carolina got two early goals from Nikolaj Ehlers at Lenovo Center, but Vegas answered over the final two periods and moved ahead 1-0 in the best-of-seven series. Tomas Hertl scored the late tiebreaking goal, and NHL.com said Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb had three points each for Vegas. Game 2 is set for Thursday night back in Raleigh. ### How did Carolina grab the game early? Carolina struck first through Nikolaj Ehlers, who scored twice in the opening period. Jalen Chatfield assisted on both goals, giving the Hurricanes the fast start they wanted at home in the series opener. The Athletic’s live coverage and NHL.com both described Vegas as having to rally after Carolina’s early push. (nhl.com) Raleigh’s Lenovo Center hosted Game 1 because Carolina finished the regular season with 113 points, the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes entered the Final after beating the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Final, while Vegas swept the Colorado Avalanche in the West final. (nhl.com) ### What changed once Vegas settled in? Vegas answered with a multi-scorer comeback rather than a single-player takeover. NHL.com’s series coverage said Theodore and McNabb each posted three points, helping the Golden Knights recover from the early deficit and stay even long enough for Hertl’s winner. (nhl.com) The Golden Knights had entered the Final as the Pacific Division’s top seed at 39-26-17. Their Game 1 win gave them home-ice advantage in the series despite opening on the road, with Games 3 and 4 now scheduled for Las Vegas. ### Who delivered the winning moment? (nhl.com) Tomas Hertl scored the go-ahead goal late in regulation, according to NHL.com’s Stanley Cup Final series page. The site’s recap package listed Hertl as the player who broke the tie in a game that swung repeatedly after Carolina’s opening burst. The 5-4 final made it an immediate high-scoring start to a matchup between a Carolina team that led the East and a Vegas club that came through the Western Conference without losing in the final round. (nhl.com) NHL.com’s coverage called it a wild opener, and the result put the pressure on Carolina to respond before the series shifts west. (nhl.com) ### What does the schedule look like from here? Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, June 4, at 8 p.m. ET in Raleigh, according to the NHL’s official Stanley Cup Final schedule. The league said every game in the series is set for an 8 p.m. ET start and will air on ABC in the United States, with Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports carrying the games in Canada. (nhl.com) Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, in Las Vegas, and Game 4 is set for Tuesday, June 9, also in Las Vegas. If necessary, the series would return to Raleigh for Game 5 on June 11 and Game 7 on June 17. (nhl.com)