3 Takeaways From Hurricanes’ 4-2 Game 5 Win Over Golden Knights

For the first time in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, a team has won two straight games. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead. It’s their first lead of the series, and now they have a chance to win their second-ever Stanley Cup on Sunday night (June 14). Before we focus on that, here are the biggest takeaways from Thursday night’s (June 11) Game 5 win for the Hurricanes.

Takeaway #1: Jordan Staal Adds a Sixth Goal

What else is there to say about Jordan Staal? The captain keeps on scoring, as he tallied his sixth of the series, giving him goals in each of the first five games. He joined Jean Beliveau (1956), Maurice Richard (1951), and Cyclone Taylor (1918) to score in the first five games to begin a Stanley Cup Final. Furthermore, his five-game goal streak tied a Stanley Cup Final record.

Following the win, Staal stated, when asked about his current scoring run, “It feels great. It’s a good time to get hot, and trying to contribute anyway I can. Just win games, and the pucks been going in, and continue to do all the things I have to do to help win the games.”

Rod Brind’Amour praised his captain for leading off the scoresheet, and now the scoresheet in the Stanley Cup Final, “Massive. This is necessarily, not necessarily; you’re expecting him to put up those kind of numbers. When he does, it’s like an added bonus. He’s deserved it; he’s been playing great. You got to get that one more still, and he knows it and will have our group ready.”

At this rate, it’s almost automatic to assume that Staal will score in the Stanley Cup Final, no matter what game it is. If there is someone who has made a clear case to win the Conn Smythe, it’s Staal.

Takeaway #2: Complete Team Effort in Game 5 Win

After their Game 5 win, Nikolaj Ehlers feels confident in this team to close it out in Game 6. However, he knows it’ll be their toughest yet: “It’s huge, obviously. It’s going to be really hard. It’s going to be a really tough game. But we’re excited for it; we’re ready for it. This team has been working all year for moments like these, and especially this moment. So, we’re excited.”

Ehlers added another three assists to his already impressive postseason in his first year in Carolina. Through 17 games in the playoffs, he has seven goals and 17 points. Furthermore, his three points in Game 5 gave him back-to-back games with three or more points, joining Connor McDavid (2024), Mario Lemieux (1991), and Wayne Gretzky (1988) to do that in the same Stanley Cup Final. He also became the eighth player in history to have three or more goals and five or more assists through their first five Stanley Cup Final games.

His eight points in the Stanley Cup Final tied him with Eric Staal, who did it in 2006 against the Edmonton Oilers.

Andrei Sevchnikov had two power-play goals in Game 5, giving him six goals through the postseason. The two man-advantage goals in the same game saw him join Eric Staal to accomplish the feat. Staal scored his two power-play goals in Game 5 as well in 2006.

Brandon Bussi had himself a Game 5, adding another win to his impressive first NHL season. He became the first goalie in NHL history to make his first two career playoff starts in a Stanley Cup Final and win both games. He now has a 2-1 record with a 2.18 goals-against average (GAA) and a .908 save percentage (SV%) through three games, with two starts in the playoffs. Could we be seeing a Cam Ward 2.0 run to help secure a Stanley Cup for the Hurricanes? While it might not include a Conn Smythe, Bussi has been playing stellar, helping bring his team to within one win of the Stanley Cup.

As a whole, the Hurricanes have been scoring goals aplenty through five games of the Stanley Cup Final. In Game 5, they joined the 1973 Montreal Canadiens to become the second team in Stanley Cup Final history to score at least four goals in each of the first five games. They are now within one win of bringing back Lord Stanley for the first time since 2006. It would be a poetic way to celebrate the 2006 team back in December and then, six months later, do it again.

Takeaway #3: One Win Away From Winning the Stanley Cup

While the win in Game 5 is awesome and something to celebrate, the job is not done for the Hurricanes. Bussi said it best after their win on Thursday night: “I don’t know if I’m willing the team. We like our game right now; it’s fun to be a part of. We work hard, we sacrifice, we care about the guy next to each other. Good win for us tonight. Enjoy tonight. Tomorrow we move on to Game 6.”

They’re soaking in the win after Game 5, but now it’s on to Game 6. Ehlers said that they’re excited to win it all, but know it’ll be their toughest win to get. If the Hurricanes can replicate what they did in Game 5, they have a solid chance to win the Stanley Cup.

We all know that the Hurricanes’ focus has been the most intense in recent memory. They’ve learned how to move on and focus on the next one in these playoffs. Regarding Sunday, it’ll be business as usual for them with the biggest trophy in sports on the line.