from Dan Rosen NHL.com Senior Writer, @ www.nhl.com
RALEIGH, N.C. — Jordan Staal scored for the fifth consecutive game and the Carolina Hurricanes are one win away from their first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years.
Staal got the Hurricanes started with his sixth goal of the Stanley Cup Final, Andrei Svechnikov added two on the power play, Sebastian Aho scored his first of the series and Carolina won 4-2 against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 at Lenovo Center on Thursday.
Brandon Bussi made 22 saves in his second straight start. Bussi is the first goalie in NHL history to make his first two career playoff starts in the Stanley Cup Final and win both.
The Hurricanes lead the best-of-7 series 3-2. Game 6 is at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, CBC).
Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice for Vegas and Carter Hart (20 saves) allowed four goals for the fifth consecutive game.
Vegas center William Karlsson didn’t return after leaving with 11:25 remaining in the second period with what appeared to be an injury to his left arm stemming from a hit he took from Sean Walker 16 seconds earlier.
Staal is the fifth player in NHL history to have a five-game goal streak in the Stanley Cup Final. The others are Yvon Cournoyer (1973, Montreal Canadiens), Jean Beliveau (1956, Canadiens), Maurice Richard (1951, Canadiens) and Cyclone Taylor (1918, Vancouver Millionaires).
Now 37, Staal is the first player in NHL history to have a five-game goal streak at age 18 or younger and 35 or older. His only other five-game goal streak came when he was 18 years old (Feb. 3-10, 2007).
Dorofeyev gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 6:52 of the first period.
Staal got it back for Carolina at 11:46, making it 1-1 with a high-slot redirection over Hart’s left pad off Nikolaj Ehlers’ pass from above the left circle.
Svechnikov gave Carolina a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal from the top of the left circle at 11:58 of the second period.
Aho scored at 17:51 to extend the lead to 3-1.
Svechnikov made it 4-1 at 11:08 of the third period, scoring from in front of the right post for his second power-play goal.
Dorofeyev scored his second at 13:49, putting it in from in front of the net to make it 4-2.
Carolina killed a penalty on Ehlers at 17:47, with Hart pulled for the extra attacker, to preserve the 4-2 final.