The Vegas Golden Knights have already wrested away home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Final after claiming a 5-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in the series opener on Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C.
Even so, the Golden Knights are well aware they were not at their best in the victory that kicked off the best-of-seven series.
“It’s a good start,” Vegas forward Tomas Hertl, who scored the game-winning goal in the third period, told Sportsnet. “We’re up 1-0 and it was a great game, but we have to be ready and sometimes play smarter.”
Game 2 of the series is on Thursday in Raleigh.
The Golden Knights have won seven straight playoff games, the latest victory coming after they fell behind 2-0. Hertl ended the back-and-forth affair when he broke a tie by finishing a give-and-go with Colton Sissons, receiving the puck in the slot and firing a top-shelf shot with 3:24 remaining in regulation.
“We knew they were going to push in the first and we weathered the storm,” said Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore, who scored once in a three-point performance. “It was good to get one late (in the first period), make it 2-1, and we really pushed in the second. And we’re a great third-period team, and (I) like our game.”
Vegas’ Brett Howden tallied once and added an assist while Ivan Barbashev and William Karlsson each tallied. Goaltender Carter Hart made 23 saves, and Brayden McNabb posted a career playoff-high three assists.
“It’s a find-a-way league. We found a way tonight,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice and Jordan Staal and Shayne Gostisbehere contributed a goal apiece for the Hurricanes, who lost for only the second time in this year’s playoffs. Jalen Chatfield recorded two assists, and goalie Frederik Andersen stopped 18 shots.
“We’ve got to be better,” said Staal, Carolina’s captain. “It’s a battle and it’s gonna be a grind, and we’re expecting that. It’s a tough loss, for sure, but we’re gonna get our game in better shape if we want to beat this team.”
The club that claims the opener of the finals has won the Stanley Cup 76.4% of the time. When the visiting team has prevailed in Game 1, that mark drops to 65.6%.
Ehlers opened the scoring 25 seconds into the clash, the third-fastest goal in history to start a finals, and made it a 2-0 game with a breakaway tally at 12:08 of the first period.
Vegas responded with a trio of goals. Theodore put Vegas on the board 80 seconds after Ehlers’ second tally, with his long point shot ricocheting off a defender and into the cage, and Barbashev tied the contest 30 seconds into the second period.
From there, Vegas twice watched a lead disappear. Karlsson gave the Golden Knights a 3-2 edge at 4:35 of the middle period, but Staal tied the clash eight minutes later.
Howden gave Vegas its second lead 81 seconds into the third period before Gostisbehere tied the clash again past the midway point of the final frame.
The hosts were unable to build on that momentum before Hertl’s winner.
“You’ve got to give them credit. That’s a great team,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We were right there and we made a few mistakes that we’ve got to try to clean up and have better execution. You’re not winning this thing if you have those kinds of errors and lack of execution.”
–Field Level Media
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