Hertl breaks tie late, Golden Knights edge Hurricanes in Game 1 of Cup Final
Theodore, McNabb each has 3 points for Vegas; Ehlers scores twice for Carolina
from Dan Rosen, at NHL.com/www.nhl.com
RALEIGH, N.C. — Tomas Hertl scored the go-ahead goal with 3:24 remaining in the third period, and the Vegas Golden Knights won a back-and-forth Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 at Lenovo Center on Tuesday.
Hertl cut to the net and received a behind-the-back pass from Colton Sissons off a give-and-go from the right face-off circle. He then scored with a shot from between the hash marks that went past Frederik Andersen’s blocker.
Hertl’s goal came just 21 seconds after Carter Hart kept it 4-4 by making a glove save on Seth Jarvis’ one-timer from the right circle at 16:15.
Shea Theodore had a goal and two assists, Brayden McNabb had three assists, and Hart made 23 saves for the Golden Knights, who are the No. 1 seed from the Pacific Division.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice in the first period, Jordan Staal and Shayne Gostisbehere also scored, and Andersen made 18 saves for the Hurricanes, who are the No. 1 seed from the Metropolitan Division.
Game 2 of the best-of-7 series will be here on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, CBC).
Ehlers gave Carolina a 1-0 lead 25 seconds into the first period. He kept the puck on a 2-on-1 and scored past Hart’s glove with a shot from the left face-off circle.
It was the third-fastest opening goal in Game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final, and the fastest since Reggie Leach scored 21 seconds into the 1976 Final for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Ehlers struck again at 12:08, this time scoring on a breakaway set up by Jalen Chatfield to extend Carolina’s lead to 2-0.
Vegas scored its first of three consecutive goals at 13:28, when Theodore’s one-timer from the right point deflected in off Eric Robinson’s left shin to make it 2-1.
Ivan Barbashev tied it 2-2 just 30 seconds into the second period, scoring short side with a high wrist shot from the left circle after receiving a feed from Jack Eichel.
Barbashev’s goal also made Stanley Cup Final history. It is the first time a goal has been scored in the opening 30 seconds of both the first and second period in any game.
William Karlsson gave Vegas a 3-2 lead at 4:35, scoring from the slot off Mitch Marner’s pretty backhand pass from below the goal line.
A little more than eight minutes later, Staal ended the Golden Knights’ scoring streak by cashing in off a turnover by Noah Hanifin to tie it 3-3 at 12:42.
Brett Howden put Vegas back in front 4-3 at 1:21 of the third period. He cut through left circle behind Chatfield and redirected a diagonal pass from Theodore under Andersen’s right arm.
Gostisbehere tied it 4-4 at 11:19, scoring unassisted from the left circle off a face-off following an icing by the Golden Knights. The goal came 16 seconds after Carolina killed off Mark Jankowski’s penalty for delay of game at 9:03.