Carolina Hurricanes @ Vegas Golden Knights
Stanley Cup Final 2026 – Game 4
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final continued its trend of wild momentum swings as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 in Game 4, evening the series at 2-2 and turning the championship matchup into a best-of-three showdown.
First Period – Hurricanes Storm Out Early
Facing a potential 3-1 series deficit, Carolina could not have asked for a better start.
Just 66 seconds into the game, Logan Stankoven found space in the slot and beat Vegas goaltender Carter Hart to give the Hurricanes an immediate 1-0 lead. Before the Golden Knights could recover, Jackson Blake doubled the advantage at 3:28, stunning the Las Vegas crowd and forcing Vegas onto its heels.
The Golden Knights responded through captain Mark Stone, who finished a breakaway opportunity at 7:22 to cut the deficit to 2-1 and inject life back into the arena.
Carolina’s relentless pressure paid off again late in the period when Jordan Staal converted a power-play rebound from the slot, restoring the two-goal cushion at 3-1. The Hurricanes dominated the opening twenty minutes and headed to intermission with full control.
End of 1st Period:
Carolina 3 – 1 Vegas
Second Period – Golden Knights Fight Back
Vegas once again showed why it had entered the night with a series lead.
At 4:22 of the second period, William Karlsson blasted a one-timer from the left circle to bring the Golden Knights within one goal. The home side gradually tilted the ice in its favor, generating sustained offensive-zone pressure and forcing Carolina’s defense into difficult situations.
The equalizer finally arrived at 17:08 when Brett Howden, enjoying a remarkable postseason, fired home his league-leading 14th playoff goal to tie the game 3-3. The crowd erupted as Vegas completed yet another comeback in a series already full of dramatic swings.
End of 2nd Period:
Carolina 3 – 3 Vegas
Third Period – Jordan Staal Delivers
With the championship momentum hanging in the balance, the veteran Hurricanes captain produced the defining moment of the night.
A Vegas turnover deep in its own zone created chaos around the Golden Knights net. After sustained pressure from Seth Jarvis and a quick touch from Nikolaj Ehlers, the puck found Jordan Staal in the low slot. Falling as he released the shot, Staal somehow lifted a backhand past Hart at 6:32 of the third period to restore Carolina’s lead at 4-3.
The goal was Staal’s second of the game and his fifth of the series, continuing one of the most impressive performances by a captain in recent Stanley Cup Final history.
Vegas pushed desperately for another equalizer. Jack Eichel rang a shot off the crossbar, while several dangerous opportunities narrowly missed the target. Carolina’s defense tightened, however, and rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi remained composed in the biggest game of his career.
With the Golden Knights’ net empty in the final minute, Ehlers sealed the victory with a long-distance empty-net goal.
Final Score:
Carolina Hurricanes 5 – 3 Vegas Golden Knights
Game Heroes
Jordan Staal
- 2 goals
- Game-winning goal
- Scored in all four games of the Final
- Won 75% of his faceoffs according to postgame reports
Nikolaj Ehlers
- 1 goal
- 2 assists
- Involved in the game-winning play
Brandon Bussi
- 18 saves
- First career Stanley Cup Playoff start
- Earned a victory in his Finals debut
What It Means
The Hurricanes prevented Vegas from taking a commanding 3-1 lead and instead left Nevada with the series tied at 2-2. Carolina regained home-ice advantage and headed back to Raleigh full of confidence, while the Golden Knights were left wondering how another comeback effort slipped away.
Game 4 will be remembered as the night veteran captain Jordan Staal delivered one of the defining performances of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, rescuing Carolina’s championship hopes and ensuring that the battle for the Stanley Cup would continue for at least two more games.