Carolina survived a Vegas comeback to win Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final 5-3, evening the series at 2-2. Vegas clawed back from 3-1 down to tie at 3-3, but Jordan Staal parked at the top of the crease and redirected a Nik Ehlers feed past Carter Hart at 6:32 of the third period to restore Carolina's lead for good. Staal's net-front dominance proved the decisive separator, and Ehlers added an empty-netter to close it out. Nikolaj Ehlers finished with three points for the Hurricanes.
Knight of the Night
Mark Stone
Opened Vegas's scoring at 7:22 to spark the comeback attempt, generating five shots on goal and absorbing six hits while logging 21:34 of ice time.
Staal Strikes Twice as the Comeback Falls Short
Carolina seized a 2-0 lead inside 3:28 on tallies from Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake. Mark Stone answered at 7:22, finishing a Shea Theodore feed to make it 2-1 and launching the comeback attempt. Jordan Staal then restored the two-goal cushion at 12:48 with a net-front redirection to push it to 3-1. Vegas answered in the second period: William Karlsson converted a Mitch Marner setup at 4:22 to make it 3-2, and Brett Howden tied it at 3-3 at 17:08 off a Colton Sissons pass on the rush. The deadlock lasted until 6:32 of the third, when Staal parked at the top of the crease and redirected a Nik Ehlers feed past Carter Hart to put Carolina ahead 4-3. Ehlers sealed the 5-3 result with an empty-netter at 19:05.
Key Players
Jordan Staal
2G 0A — Scored twice to control the game's decisive moments, first restoring Carolina's two-goal cushion at 12:48 of the first period and then breaking the 3-3 tie at 6:32 of the third by redirecting a Nik Ehlers feed from the top of the crease past Carter Hart.
William Karlsson
1G 1A — Scored to cut the deficit to 3-2 at 4:22 of the second period and added the secondary assist on Brett Howden's tying goal, driving the sequence that brought Vegas from 3-1 down to 3-3.
Mark Stone
1G 0A — Opened Vegas's scoring at 7:22 of the first period by finishing a Shea Theodore feed, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and triggering the comeback push. He generated five shots on goal and absorbed a game-high six hits across 21:34 of ice time.
What did Tortorella Say About the Deciding Goal?
John Tortorella was visibly frustrated that the winning goal came without being earned. After Carter Hart made a critical save, the Golden Knights vacated the slot and allowed Staal uncontested access to the blue paint. Tortorella praised his team's third period as their best but could not overlook the structural breakdown. He singled out Staal's net-front dominance as a series-long problem his defensemen have failed to solve and made clear the response heading to Raleigh requires winning those exact battles.
He's killing us in front of the net. Staal. So we have got to do a better job around the blue.
Golden Knights' Playoff Journey
Vegas opened the postseason by eliminating Utah in six games (4-2), then dispatched Anaheim in another six-game series (4-2). The Western Conference Final was a statement sweep of Colorado (4-0), securing the franchise's second Stanley Cup Final berth. The Golden Knights are now tied 2-2 with Carolina after dropping Game 4 by a 5-3 margin, setting up a pivotal Game 5 in Raleigh.
What's Next with the Series Tied 2-2?
- Jun 11: at Carolina Hurricanes, PNC Arena - 5:00 PM (Game 5)
- Jun 14: vs Carolina Hurricanes, T-Mobile Arena - 5:00 PM (Game 6)
- Jun 17: at Carolina Hurricanes, PNC Arena - 5:00 PM (Game 7)