Andrei Svechnikov scored two power-play goals, and Jordan Staal continued his finals goal-scoring streak as the Hurricanes defeated the Golden Knights 4–2 on Thursday night.
The victory puts Carolina one win away from hoisting the Stanley Cup. The win also marks the first time Carolina has taken the lead in the series.
Vegas did, however, jump out to an early lead. Before Carolina worked its way back and took control of the game.
It took the Golden Knights nearly seven minutes to get their first shot. However, at the 6:52 mark on the power play, Jack Eichel fed Pavel Dorofeyev on the doorstep for a tap-in goal. Dorofeyev beat goaltender Carter Hart to give Vegas a 1–0 lead.
Jordan Staal tied the game for Carolina at 11:46. Nikolaj Ehlers found his captain in front of the net, fed him a pass, and the veteran swept it through Carter Hart to even the score 1–1.
The teams played even until just past the halfway point of the second period. That’s when Svechnikov scored his first power-play goal. A shot from outside the circle that beat Hart at 11:58, and made it 2–1.
Later in the period, Sebastian Aho gave Carolina some breathing room. With just over two minutes remaining in the second, Sean Walker threaded a pass to Aho at the side of the net, and Aho flipped the puck over Hart to make it 3–1.
Svechnikov struck again in the third period. At the 11:08 mark, on the power play, Ehlers made another great pass, spinning around and finding Svechnikov on the post for a jam shot to extend the lead to 4–1.
Dorofeyev scored his second of the game at 13:49—a rebound on the power play—to make it 4–2, but that’s as close as Las Vegas would get. Carolina closed it out to claim the win.
Carolina now finds itself one victory away from the championship. The teams travel back-to-back to Las Vegas for Game 6 on Sunday night.
