The Vegas Golden Knights were hit with a 4-2 Game 5 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center, dropping into a 3-2 series deficit. Carter Hart’s latest collapse delivered another Stanley Cup Final first, as the Golden Knights now face Sunday’s Game 6 at
The Stanley Cup Final shifted on a night Vegas wanted to steady itself. Instead. the Golden Knights arrived at Lenovo Center with the series knotted at two games apiece and walked out with a 4-2 Game 5 loss hanging over everything—Carolina leading 3-2 and Vegas staring at a must-win Game 6 on Sunday back at T-Mobile Arena.
For Carter Hart, it was yet another brutal entry in a Stanley Cup Final history he didn’t want. Earlier. he became the first goalie in Stanley Cup Final history to allow at least four goals in each of the first four games of a Final. In Game 5, he surrendered four more. That made him the first netminder ever to concede four or more goals in each of the first five games of a Stanley Cup Final. Hart finished with 20 saves.
Vegas struck first at 6:52 of the opening period when Pavel Dorofeyev cashed in a power-play opportunity. Jack Eichel carried the puck into the offensive zone and found Dorofeyev across the slot for the game’s first goal. Jordan Staal answered later in the period. tying it 1-1 and extending his scoring streak in the Final to five consecutive games.
Then the second period flipped the night’s momentum—especially after Vegas had owned that frame for much of the series. outscoring the Hurricanes 9-1 in the second period entering Game 5. Carolina reversed it fast. Andrei Svechnikov scored on the power play to give the Hurricanes their first lead. and Sebastian Aho followed with his first goal of the series less than five minutes later to make it 3-1. Aho’s goal came after a setup from Sean Walker. while a forecheck battle won by Jordan Martinook helped create the opportunity.
Carolina added separation in the third. Svechnikov scored again on the power play for a 4-1 advantage. He entered the game with four postseason goals and finished with two on the night. Nikolaj Ehlers recorded three assists, including the setup on Svechnikov’s second goal.
Dorofeyev scored Vegas’s second goal later in the third period to make it 4-2, finishing with both Vegas goals. His second tally came off a pass from Shea Theodore, but the Golden Knights couldn’t get any closer.
Now the series heads back to Las Vegas with urgency in the air. Vegas will return to T-Mobile Arena for Game 6 on Sunday needing a win to keep its championship hopes alive and force a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Carolina.
Vegas Golden Knights Carolina Hurricanes Carter Hart Stanley Cup Final Game 5 Pavel Dorofeyev Jack Eichel Jordan Staal Andrei Svechnikov Sebastian Aho Nikolaj Ehlers Game 6