Staal, Hurricanes even Stanley Cup Final with Game 4 win
In what is shaping up to be one of the most entertaining Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory, the Carolina Hurricanes edged out the Vegas Golden Knights in Tuesday’s Game 4 by a score of 5-3 to even the series at 2-2.
Carolina captain Jordan Staal, who had two goals on the night, scored the game-winner about six and a half minutes into the third period, swatting home a backhander while falling to the ice on a chaotic play in front of Vegas’ net.
JORDAN STAAL GETS ANOTHER! 📹: Sportsnet
Tuesday’s game picked up right where Saturday’s wild Game 3 left off, as the two teams combined for a four-goal first period. The Hurricanes began the game on fire, scoring twice within the first three and a half minutes to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. Just over a minute into the first period, Logan Stankoven scored his team-leading 11th goal of the playoffs, taking a Jalen Chatfield point shot that bounced off the end boards and past a fanned clearing attempt by Vegas goaltender Carter Hart and shoveling it into the back of the net.
Jackson Blake then scored his sixth goal of the playoffs at the tail end of power play, finishing off a perfect cross-crease pass from Taylor Hall.
The Hurricanes have silenced the Vegas crowd early in this one with an early 2-0 lead, the second goal courtesy of Jackson Blake. 📹: Sportsnet
The Golden Knights didn’t waste much time getting one back, as Mark Stone snuck behind the Carolina defense just over seven minutes into the first and beat Carolina goaltender Brandon Bussi with a forehand deke.
We have three goals within a 10-minute span. What a series this continues to be 🔥 Mark Stone made no mistake on this breakaway 👏 📹: Sportsnet
About five minutes of game time later, Vegas took a needless penalty for having too many men on the ice. Once again, the Hurricanes made them pay, as Staal found the loose puck after a Shayne Gostisbehere point shot and deposited it behind Hart to restore Carolina’s two-goal lead.
Vegas nearly scored the game’s fifth goal at the tail end of the first, but Brayden McNabb’s one-timer crossed the goal line milliseconds after the period ran out of time.
The Golden Knights wound up scoring the game’s fifth goal roughly four and a half minutes into the second period, as William Karlsson took a Rasmus Andersson pass from the below the goal line and beat Bussi underneath the arm, cutting the Hurricanes’ lead to 3-2.
WILLIAM KARLSSON CUTS THE CANES' LEAD IN HALF! 📹: Sportsnet
With just under three minutes left in the second, Brett Howden scored his team-leading 14th goal of the playoffs, snapping a wrister through the legs of Carolina defenseman K’Andre Miller and over the shoulder of Bussi on a rush to tie the game at 3-3, setting the stage for Staal’s winner in the third.
BRETT HOWDEN SETS A GOLDEN KNIGHTS FRANCHISE RECORD FOR MOST GOALS IN A POST-SEASON WITH 14! 📹: Sportsnet
Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-netter with under a minute left to salt away the Hurricanes’ crucial Game 4 victory.
Despite relinquishing their early two-goal lead, Carolina was full money for the win, as they outshot the Golden Knights 28-21 and earned 55.55% of the game’s expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Bussi, who made his first start of this postseason after appearing in relief of Freddie Andersen in Game 3, stopped 18 of 21 shots to get the win. He made multiple clutch saves late to preserve the Hurricanes’ lead, and will have to be considered stongly by head coach Rod Brind’Amour to stay in Carolina’s net.
The series, which has been thrilling so far, will now come down to a best two of three starting with Thursday’s Game 5 in Carolina.