Vegas wins Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final, beats Carolina 5-4 in Raleigh

The Vegas Golden Knights opened the Stanley Cup Final by taking Carolina’s home ice. Vegas beat the Hurricanes 5-4 on Tuesday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh after trailing 2-0 in the first period and 4-3 in the third. Tomas Hertl scored the go-ahead goal with 3:24 remaining, giving Vegas a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. (nhl.com) Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb each had three points for the Golden Knights, and Carolina got two goals from Nikolaj Ehlers. ### How did Vegas turn a 4-3 game into a road win? Tomas Hertl scored at 16:36 of the third period to break a 4-4 tie and finish the last swing in a game that changed hands repeatedly. (espn.com) Vegas had tied the score earlier in the period after Shayne Gostisbehere’s unassisted goal for Carolina made it 4-4 at 11:19. Brett Howden had given Vegas a 4-3 lead at 1:21 of the third on a tip-in, but Carolina answered before Hertl’s winner. The Golden Knights finished with two goals in the third period after being outshot 12-4 in the first and then taking control of the second, when they outshot Carolina 11-4. (nhl.com) ### What did Carolina do early to put Vegas under pressure? Nikolaj Ehlers scored 25 seconds into the game and added another at 12:08 of the first period to put the Hurricanes ahead 2-0. Carolina carried the opening stretch at home and built that lead before Theodore cut it to 2-1 at 13:28. (nhl.com) Carolina also got a tying goal from captain Jordan Staal at 12:42 of the second period. Gostisbehere’s third-period goal briefly restored the Hurricanes’ footing, but they did not hold the tie long enough to force overtime. ### Which Vegas players drove the comeback? (nhl.com) Shea Theodore scored once and added two assists, and Brayden McNabb had three assists in the opener. Hertl scored the winner, while Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson and Howden also scored for Vegas. The scoring spread matched the way Vegas climbed back into the game. (nhl.com) Barbashev tied it 30 seconds into the second period, Karlsson put the Golden Knights ahead 3-2 at 4:35 of the second, and Howden’s third-period tip briefly gave them another lead before Hertl finished the rally late. ### What does the shot profile say about the game flow? The NHL game report listed Carolina with a 27-23 edge in shots, but the period totals showed the game shifting after the first. The Hurricanes led shots 12-4 in the opening period, Vegas led 11-4 in the second, and Carolina held an 11-8 edge in the third. (nhl.com) That sequence tracked the scoreline. Carolina struck first and dictated the opening minutes, Vegas pushed back in the middle period, and the third became a trade of goals until Hertl’s finish put the visitors ahead for good. (nhl.com) ### When do the teams play next? ESPN’s playoff schedule lists Game 2 for Thursday, June 4, at 8 p.m. ET in Raleigh. The series then shifts to Las Vegas for Game 3 on June 6 and Game 4 on June 9. Vegas enters that second game with a 1-0 series lead after taking the opener on the road. (nhl.com) Carolina will try to avoid going to Las Vegas down two games in the Final. (espn.com)