Jordan Staal’s Two Goals Lift Hurricanes Past Golden Knights, Tie Stanley Cup Final

Jordan Staal scored the second of his two Game 4 goals with just over 13 minutes remaining as the Carolina Hurricanes tied the Stanley Cup Final 2-2 with a 5-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas.

It was the first time in this series that a game had been decided by more than one goal, and also the first time in Stanley Cup Final history that both teams each scored three or more goals in the first four games.

“It’s not going to look pretty all 60 minutes,” said Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour when asked about the team’s up-and-down play in the series.

“We’re still giving up way too much, but, again, you’re not going to shut these guys down.”

On Staal, the Carolina captain now has five goals in the series. With his goals on Tuesday, Staal became the first player since New York Islanders’ legend Mike Bossy in 1982 to score a goal in the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final.

“It’s a good time to get hot,” Staal said. “I want to contribute any way I can, and the puck’s going in for me. I’ll take it.”

“When you watch him (Staal) all the time, you kind of get spoiled,” Brind’Amour said. “I coach him all the time, so I know I’m spoiled.”

The Hurricanes started the scoring early, with Logan Stankoven finding the back of the net just 1:06 into the game. That was followed up by Jackson Blake’s sixth of the postseason 2:22 later.

Trailing 3-1 in the second period, William Karlsson and Brett Howden each scored to even the game at three heading into the final frame. 

Staal’s goal came at 6:32 of the third. Nikolaj Ehlers, who finished with three points, scored a full-length empty-net goal with 55 seconds left.

Of his goals so far, Staal’s third-period goal is one that Hurricanes fans are sure to talk about for years, especially if the team goes on to win the Stanley Cup. Falling away from the puck in the slot, he chopped at the puck as he went down on his stomach, putting it behind Vegas netminder Carter Hart.

Hart finished with 24 saves and gave up at least four goals for the fourth straight game. 

At the other end of the net, Brandon Bussi made 18 saves in his first career Stanley Cup Playoffs start. He was put in for Game 4 after Brind’Amour said that Anderson needed time, scratching him for the night. 

Bussi, who gave up his three goals on Vegas’ first 11 shots, stopped the final 10 shots he faced, including all nine third-period shots.

Brind’Amour said that a short conversation with the team’s goaltending coach, Paul Schonfelder, in which it was said to him that regular starter Frederik Anderson “needed a little break”, was all that was needed to make the switch for Game 4. 

“He was phenomenal,” Brind’Amour said on Bussi’s first start. “He got a taste of it the other night, and kind of just picked up where he left off…he was really solid all night. Got to give him a lot of credit.”   

Brind’Amour declined to commit to who will start in net in Game 5.

For Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella, he was proud of how his team battled back to tie the game.

“I thought we battled back; I thought our third period was our best period,” he said. “The frustrating part for me is they don’t earn their winning goal. It’s not so much the turnover. Carter makes a great save. But just after that we make another mistake.”

Those mistakes, he added, need to be washed and fixed as the series turns into a best-of-three from here on out.

Game 5 takes place Thursday in Raleigh, NC.