Golden Knights beat Hurricanes 5-4

The Vegas Golden Knights opened the Stanley Cup Final with a 5-4 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, taking Game 1 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Tomas Hertl scored the winner with 3:24 left in the third period, and Vegas erased an early two-goal deficit to leave with a 1-0 series lead. NHL.com and ESPN recaps said the result gave the Golden Knights the early edge in the best-of-seven series, while CBS Sports said Vegas also took away Carolina’s home-ice advantage. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, June 4, again in Raleigh. ### How did Vegas win after falling behind so fast? Nikolaj Ehlers put Carolina ahead 25 seconds into the game and added a second goal at 12:08 of the first period, according to ESPN’s scoring summary. Carolina’s quick start gave the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead before Vegas settled in. Shea Theodore got Vegas on the board at 13:28 of the first, and the Golden Knights then scored twice in the opening 4:35 of the second period. Ivan Barbashev tied it 30 seconds into the period, and William Karlsson made it 3-2 off an assist from Mitch Marner, ESPN said. ### Which sequence decided the game late? Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game 4-4 for Carolina at 11:19 of the third period with an unassisted goal, according to ESPN and NHL.com. That reset a game that had already swung repeatedly, with Jordan Staal and Brett Howden also scoring after the first intermission. Tomas Hertl broke the tie at 16:36 of the third on a play set up by Colton Sissons and Theodore, NHL.com said. NHL.com reported that Hertl’s goal came 21 seconds after Vegas goaltender Carter Hart preserved the tie with a glove save on a Seth Jarvis one-timer. ESPN’s recap said Hertl scored from the slot after taking Sissons’ backhand pass. ### Who drove the offense for Vegas? Shea Theodore finished with a goal and two assists, according to ESPN’s box score and NHL.com’s recap. Brett Howden had a goal and an assist, while Barbashev and Karlsson each scored once. Brayden McNabb recorded assists on the Theodore, Barbashev and Howden goals, ESPN said. The Golden Knights scored five times on 23 shots, while Carolina finished with 27 shots. ### What did the result mean for the series? CBS Sports said the win gave Vegas a 1-0 lead and stole home-ice advantage from Carolina. NHL.com identified the game as the opener of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, with the Hurricanes trying to start their first Final appearance since 2006 on home ice. ESPN’s recap quoted Vegas coach John Tortorella saying, “I’ve said it all through the playoffs: it’s a find-a-way league.” NHL.com quoted Hertl saying, “After a rusty start I think we did a lot of good things.” ### What comes next on June 4? Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, June 4, with the series remaining in Raleigh before shifting to Las Vegas, according to NHL and media schedule listings. Vegas can take a 2-0 lead before the matchup moves west, while Carolina will try to even the series at home. The Vegas Golden Knights said on their official site that T-Mobile Arena will host an official Game 2 watch party on June 4. Doors open at 4 p.m. Pacific time and puck drop is set for 5 p.m. Pacific time, the team said.