Carolina skated into T-Mobile Arena and left with a 5-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. Jordan Staal scored twice, and Nikolaj Ehlers put up 1+2, including the late empty-netter. Carolina outshot Vegas 28-21 and won key faceoffs to tilt momentum their way. Attendance was 18,339 in Paradise, Nevada.

Fast start puts Carolina ahead

Carolina’s opening push set the tone. Logan Stankoven needed just 1:06 to score from close range after good work by Jackson Blake and Jalen Chatfield. Blake then made it 2-0 at 3:28, finishing a move created by Ehlers with Taylor Hall providing the secondary touch. Vegas answered through Mark Stone at 7:22, assisted by Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb, to settle the home crowd.

A bench minor to Vegas for too many men at 12:27 proved costly. Staal cashed in on the power play 21 seconds later, redirecting a feed from Shayne Gostisbehere with Sebastian Aho also on the board. That made it 3-1 to the Hurricanes after a first period they controlled 14-6 on shots. Vegas threw 17 hits in response, but the visitors were cleaner and sharper in the attacking zone.

Vegas rally stalls on special teams

The Golden Knights clawed back in the second. William Karlsson struck at 24:22, finishing off a neat sequence from Mitch Marner and Rasmus Andersson. Nic Dowd and Jordan Martinook traded minors as the period tightened up, but Vegas found another at 37:08. Brett Howden buried at even strength, assisted by Colton Sissons and Karlsson, who turned in a two-point night.

Carolina generated nine shots in the middle frame yet could not beat Carter Hart, while Vegas converted two of just four even-strength looks. The period ended 3-3 and set up a tense finish. Faceoffs leveled out in the second, but the Hurricanes’ structure limited rush chances. With both benches shortening, each block and breakout touch mattered more.

Staal and Ehlers close it out

The third period swung back to details and execution. K’Andre Miller took a minor for tripping at 42:00, and while Carolina did not score on that power play, the pressure lingered. At 46:32, Staal struck again at even strength, finishing after Ehlers created the lane. That made it 4-3 and shifted the building’s noise in a hurry.

Vegas pushed to the horn, posting a 9-5 shot edge in the final frame, but Carolina’s skaters got in front of pucks. The Hurricanes blocked nine third-period attempts and won the key faceoffs late. Ehlers then sealed it with an empty-net goal at 59:05 for 5-3. Brandon Bussi stopped 18 of 21 for Carolina, while Hart turned away 23 of 27 for Vegas. Staal was named First Star, Ehlers Second Star, and Karlsson Third Star.

Numbers that tell the story

Carolina finished with a 28-21 shots-on-goal advantage and a 57% faceoff win rate, a notable edge in a tight playoff game. The power play was decisive, too, with the Hurricanes going 1/3 and the Golden Knights at 0/3. At even strength, Vegas actually shot at a higher clip in the second period, but Carolina owned the first and managed the third.

Hits favored Vegas 38-34, yet the Hurricanes blocked more shots 16-12 and forced crucial mistakes. Takeaways read 7-3 in Carolina’s favor, and Vegas gifted the puck 23 times compared to 15 for the visitors. Staal dominated the dot at 75% with two goals, and Ehlers added three points and the insurance finish. For Vegas, Stone led with five shots and a goal, and Karlsson delivered 1+1 to keep his side in it.

You can find the full box score, player stats and play-by-play on Sofascore. Track every shot, save and special-teams swing in the Sofascore app, and check each player’s Sofascore Rating after the final horn.