Hurricanes Take Series Lead
Carolina Hurricanes Defeat Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 5, Take 3-2 Series Lead
The Carolina Hurricanes are one win away from the Stanley Cup after beating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 5 on Thursday night at PNC Arena NBC Sports. Andrei Svechnikov scored twice, including an empty-net goal with 18 seconds left, and Jordan Staal added a key second-period goal as Carolina seized a 3-2 series lead TSN.
Teams that win Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup Final go on to win the series 78.8% of the time, according to NHL Public Relations data. Game 6 is set for Saturday, June 13, at 8:00 PM ET in Las Vegas.
Svechnikov and Aho Finally Deliver on Hockey's Biggest Stage
For years, critics questioned whether the Hurricanes' core could win when it mattered most. On Thursday, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov answered loudly. Aho opened the scoring at 14:22 of the first period on a rebound. Svechnikov then scored twice in the third period to put the game away ADN.
Aho and Svechnikov have been teammates for eight seasons. Both have watched Carolina fall in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019, 2023, and 2025. After Thursday's game, Aho said, "We don't just want to be here; we want to finish it." Carolina outshot Vegas 38-24 and controlled 62% of expected goals in the game, according to analytics site The Athletic.
Vegas Rallies Late But Runs Out of Time
The Golden Knights trailed 3-0 heading into the final 10 minutes. Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault scored to cut the lead to 3-2, briefly giving Vegas life KDH News. But Svechnikov's empty-netter at 19:42 of the third ended any hope of a comeback.
Stone admitted his team made costly mistakes. "We gave them too much room in the neutral zone," he said. "You can't do that against a team that hunts pucks like they do." Vegas was 0-for-2 on the power play. Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy criticized his team's "lack of urgency" in the first 40 minutes TSN.
Pietrangelo Injury Clouds Vegas's Game 6 Plans
Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo left Game 5 in the third period after a collision with Svechnikov. His status for Game 6 is listed as "undisclosed" by the Golden Knights NBC Washington. Pietrangelo anchors Vegas's defensive core and drives their transition game out of the defensive zone.
Losing Pietrangelo would be a serious blow for a team already facing elimination. Vegas must win Game 6 at home or their season ends. The Golden Knights have reached the Stanley Cup Final three times in their nine-year history, winning in 2023 TSN.
Brind'Amour Chases Rare Double Stanley Cup Honor
Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour was the captain of the franchise's only previous Cup winner in 2006 — exactly 20 years ago. If the Hurricanes win Game 6, he becomes one of the very few people to win the Stanley Cup with the same team as both captain and head coach NBC Miami.
Back in Raleigh, over 15,000 fans packed an outdoor viewing area called the "Caniac Carnival" — the largest outdoor hockey crowd in North Carolina history. Carolina captain Jordan Staal kept the focus on the job ahead. "It's about the details," he said. "The resilience of this room is why we're up 3-2."
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