The Carolina Hurricanes moved within one victory of their second Stanley Cup championship, routing Vegas 4-2 in Game 5 on Thursday night in Raleigh to seize a 3-2 series lead.
Carolina's top scorers took over after an early Vegas goal, combining for a barrage that gave the Hurricanes command of the best-of-seven final. The team scored four straight goals to flip a 1-0 deficit into a comfortable cushion heading into the third period, with Andrei Svechnikov potting two power-play goals and Jordan Staal continuing his remarkable scoring streak.
Staal extended his run of goals to five consecutive games, a feat last matched by Jean Beliveau when the Montreal Canadiens won in 1956. His first-period redirect off a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers tied the game early, and from there the Hurricanes' machine hummed.
Vegas struck first on the opening power play when Pavel Dorofeyev finished from in close at 6:52 of the first, capitalizing on a feed from Jack Eichel. The advantage was short-lived. Staal answered at 11:46 to tie it, and Carolina never trailed again.
Svechnikov's first power-play goal came midway through the second period, and Sebastian Aho made it 3-1 shortly after. The winger used his skate to corral a diagonal pass at the left circle, then rifled a shot past Vegas goalie Carter Hart for a two-goal lead. Svechnikov struck again on another man advantage in the third to push the margin to 4-1, his second setup once again coming from Ehlers.
Dorofeyev grabbed a rebound goal late to make the scoreline respectable for Vegas, but it mattered little. Carolina's Brandon Bussi was sharp in net with 22 saves, and Ehlers orchestrated the offense with three assists. Shayne Gostisbehere added two assists in the victory.
Vegas has now dropped two consecutive games after holding a 2-1 series lead. The Golden Knights mounted a brief rally at the end with Hart pulled for a 6-on-4 advantage, but the Hurricanes held firm. Vegas also lost forward William Karlsson to an apparent left arm injury midway through the second period.
Game 6 returns to Las Vegas on Sunday night, where the Hurricanes will attempt to end the series and capture their second Cup in franchise history.
Author James Rodriguez: "The Hurricanes have the Golden Knights on the ropes now, and their depth scoring in this game showed why they belong here. One more win and Carolina brings the trophy home."
Comments