Jordan Staal stretched across the ice and found the back of the net at 6:32 of the third period, lifting the Carolina Hurricanes past the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 on Tuesday night and knotting the Stanley Cup final at two games apiece.
Staal's second goal of the game gave the Hurricanes the lead for good in what turned into their first decisive victory of the series. Carolina's ability to convert on chances proved decisive, as the team outshot Vegas 14-6 in the final period despite the Golden Knights generating four high-danger scoring opportunities to the Hurricanes' three.
Nikolaj Ehlers punctuated the win with an empty-netter and two assists, while Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven also scored for Carolina. Brandon Bussi stepped in for Frederik Andersen in goal and turned aside 18 shots, with Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour electing to give his starter rest before the series heads back to Raleigh.
"Let Andersen rest," Brind'Amour told ABC. "Give him as many days here as we can."
Vegas countered with goals from Mark Stone, William Karlsson and Brett Howden, though goaltender Carter Hart's 23 saves proved insufficient. The Golden Knights managed to keep the series tight through the first two periods, but couldn't hold their grip in the third when it mattered most.
The shift to a multiples-goal outcome marked a departure from the series' pattern. Two-goal leads have been squandered in all four games played thus far, with momentum swinging unpredictably. Game 4 was the first contest not to be decided by a single goal, and combined scoring now stands at 33 goals, tying the third-highest total in Cup final history.
Game 5 moves to Raleigh on Thursday night, giving the Hurricanes two chances on home ice to capture their first championship in two decades. Vegas, chasing their second title in four years, faces an uphill climb with the series now deadlocked.
Staal etched his name further into Stanley Cup lore by becoming the first player in 44 years to record at least one goal in each of the opening four games of a final. Mike Bossy was the last to accomplish the feat when the New York Islanders faced Vancouver in 1982.
Author James Rodriguez: "Staal's belly-flop goal captures everything about this series so far: chaotic, unpredictable, and utterly riveting."
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