Hurricanes one win from lifting Cup: Grades, big q...
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- Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 5, taking a 3-2 series lead and moving one win away from their first Stanley Cup since 2006.
- Pavel Dorofeyev scored the opening goal for the Hurricanes less than seven minutes into the first period after a penalty on Nikolaj Ehlers.
- Jordan Staal tied the game with a goal and recorded his sixth series goal, matching a 1956 record for scoring in the first five Cup Final games.
- Carolina Hurricanes logged their fifth consecutive power‑play goal, matching the total from the previous eight postseason games.
- Vegas Golden Knights lost forward William Karlsson to an apparent left arm injury in the second period and took multiple penalties, including a double‑minor on Mark Stone.
- Brandon Bussi made crucial saves on Brett Howden and Shea Theodore, supporting the Hurricanes' victory.
- Carolina Hurricanes received a grade of A‑ for Game 5, while the Golden Knights were graded C.
Why it matters: The Hurricanes' win puts them within striking distance of their first title in 20 years, boosting momentum while exposing the Golden Knights' depth concerns after William Karlsson's injury and a string of costly penalties, making Game 6 a decisive test for Vegas' resilience and Carolina's goaltending gamble.
