Hurricanes tie Stanley Cup Final with 5-3 win over Golden Knights in Game 4

Carolina overcame an early deficit to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, tying the series at two games apiece. Captain Jordan Staal scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the third period, becoming the first captain in NHL history to record a goal in each of his first four Final games.

Backup goaltender Brandon Bussi, starting in place of Frederik Andersen, made 18 saves on 21 shots, including key stops late in the game. The Hurricanes took an early 2-0 lead within the first three minutes, with Logan Stankoven scoring 66 seconds in and Sam Blake adding a second shortly after. Vegas rallied in the second period, tying the game at 3-3 on goals by William Karlsson and Brett Howden, but Carolina reclaimed the lead on Staal’s third-period strike.

"He doesn’t get anxious about things. The pressure is there, everyone can feel it and see it. He doesn’t feel it," winger Taylor Hall said of Staal.

"We’re playing a good team. It’s not gonna look pretty all 60 minutes," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour added.

Bussi became the first goalie since the 1967-68 expansion to win his first career playoff start in a Stanley Cup Final. He credited the team’s high-intensity practices for keeping him ready while on the bench. The win marked the Hurricanes’ first lead after the opening period of a Final game, and they held that advantage for the remainder of the contest.

The victory also highlighted several milestones: Stankoven recorded his 11th playoff goal, the most in a single postseason for a Canes player, and joined an exclusive group of players with five or more game-opening goals in a postseason. Vegas, despite outscoring Carolina 9-1 in second periods of the series, fell short as the Hurricanes generated a high volume of shots from the low slot and converted all four of their goals from close range.