Tomas Hertl scored the tiebreaking goal late in the third period, as the Vegas Golden Knights erased an early two-goal deficit and rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, taking a 1-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center.
Carolina seized control quickly as Nikolaj Ehlers scored just 25 seconds into the game and added a second goal later in the opening period to put the Hurricanes ahead 2-0. Vegas responded before intermission and continued its push with three consecutive goals to swing momentum in its favor.
The lead changed hands several times in a fast-paced contest. Shea Theodore recorded a goal and two assists, while Brett Howden, Ivan Barbashev and William Karlsson also scored for Vegas. Theodore finished with three points, and defenseman Brayden McNabb added three assists.
Carolina answered repeatedly as Jordan Staal and Shayne Gostisbehere each found the net, helping the Hurricanes erase deficits of 3-2 and 4-3. Ehlers’ two-goal performance paced the home side, but the Hurricanes could not hold off the Golden Knights in the closing minutes.
The decisive moment came with 3:24 remaining in regulation. Hertl finished a setup from Colton Sissons, beating Frederik Andersen from the slot to break a 4-4 tie and give Vegas the lead for good. Moments earlier, goaltender Carter Hart had preserved the deadlock with a key save on Seth Jarvis. Hart finished with 23 saves for the Golden Knights.
The victory extended Vegas’ playoff winning streak to seven games and continued a postseason trend of overcoming adversity. After falling behind early, the Golden Knights once again found a way back, securing home-ice advantage in the series and handing Carolina only its second loss of the playoffs.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for Thursday night in Raleigh.
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