RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes couldn’t have asked for a better start to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 20 years.
They definitely wanted a better ending Tuesday night in a 5-4 Game 1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Game 2 is Thursday.
Vegas’ Tomas Hertl scored off a give-and-go with Colton Sissons with less than four minutes left in the third period, the decisive goal in a back-and-forth, high-scoring game that featured one of the quickest goals in Stanley Cup Final history.
Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers scored just 25 seconds into the game — the third-fastest goal in final history and the fastest in 50 years — and then added another goal with 7:52 left in the first period to give the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead in front of delirious fans.
But the Golden Knights, aiming for their second Cup in four seasons and coming off a sweep of top-seeded Colorado in the Western Conference Final, fought back.
And they did so quickly. Shea Theodore scored just 1:20 after Ehlers’ second goal to make it 2-1. Keegan Kolesar was right in front of Frederik Andersen on Theodore’s shot from the point.
The Golden Knights tied the game on a perfectly placed shot by Ivan Barbashev high on the stick side of Andersen just 30 seconds into the second period. And then took their first lead of the series on a goal by William Karlsson about four minutes later.
Carolina knotted the game at 3 on captain Jordan Staal’s goal later in the second period. Staal, one of just two Hurricanes players to win a Cup previously, took a pass from defenseman K’Andre Miller, who had held the puck in at the blue line. Staal fired off a shot to beat Hart with 8:18 left in the period.
Brett Howden gave the Golden Knights the lead again early in the third period when he tipped in a pass from Theodore.
But the Canes tied it again on Shayne Gostisbehere’s goal about midway through the third period.
Carolina fell to 12-2 in the postseason.
Carolina scored first in all five games against Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final — and now they did it again in the Stanley Cup Final.
NHL commissioner lauds ‘extraordinary owner’ Dundon
Before the game, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman praised Hurricanes owner Tom Dudon for his work with the franchise.
Dundon purchased a majority stake in the team in 2018, hired coach Rod Brind’Amour a few months later and the team has reached the playoffs every season since, including four trips to the Eastern Conference Final and, now, finally a Stanley Cup Final appearance.
“Tom Dundon has been an extraordinary owner in terms of what he’s brought to the operation of this franchise on and off the ice,” Bettman said during his pre-Final press conference. “Obviously, his work in terms of creating a competitive and successful team is the reason we’re here. This team is more part of the community than it’s ever been.”
Bettman noted support from the business community and government, including the approval of a $300-million renovation project at Lenovo Center backed by tax dollars.
Dundon recently led a group that purchased the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, where he has been under scrutiny for cost-cutting measures – some real and some perceived.
“Tom may not always be – because we’re hearing this out of a different market — the most conventional owner, but nobody can argue with his commitment to the sport, to the community and to making the team successful for the benefit of the community and that fans,” Bettman said. “He’s been great for us all the way.”
He said that the NHL would bring events to Raleigh once the renovations and development outside the arena are complete.
North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick attended Game 1 as a guest of Bettman and sat with the commissioner. Duke men’s basketball coach Jon Scheyer was also in attendance.
