Fast start, bad finish, too many mistakes for Canes in Stanley Cup Final Game 1 loss

RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes couldn’t have asked for a better start to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 20 years.

They definitely wanted a better ending.

The Vegas Golden Knights rallied for a 5-4 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series Tuesday night at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Game 2 is Thursday.

Vegas’ Tomas Hertl scored off a give-and-go with Colton Sissons with 3:24 remaining in the third period, the decisive goal in a back-and-forth, high-scoring game that featured one of the quickest goals in Stanley Cup Final history and left the Hurricanes lamenting costly mistakes.

“It’s a tough loss for sure,” Carolina captain Jordan Staal said. “We’ve got to get our game in better shape if we want to beat this team.”

On the game winner, Hertl passed to Sissons and then cut toward the center of the ice in front of the Hurricanes’ goal. Sissons found him with a backhanded pass. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who was guarding Hertl, slowed for a second, and the Vegas forward slipped away. Hertl beat goalie Frederik Anderson to the stick side.

Gostisbehere blamed himself in the postgame.

“That one’s definitely on me,” Gostisbehere said. “Just took a breather for a second.”

Fans told WRAL News they are not losing hope since the best-of-seven series has only just begun. 

"We're gonna get a gentleman's sweep," said Brighton Lapidus. "It's when we win four to one. I just think we've got to skate more." 

Fans barely had a chance to catch their breath before Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers scored just 25 seconds into the game — the third-fastest goal in final history and the fastest in 50 years. The man they call “Fly” for his speedy skating took the puck down the left side from his own zone and beat Vegas goaltender Carter Hart.

Ehlers added another goal with 7:52 left in the first period to give the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead in front of delirious fans. In addition to towel-waving fans inside, Canes fans packed the plaza outside the arena to watch the game on big screen televisions.

“It was a great start,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

Road teams had been 0-55 all-time in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final when trailing by multiple goals at any point, according to ESPN. Make that 1-55.

The Golden Knights, aiming for their second Cup in four seasons and coming off a sweep of top-seeded Colorado in the Western Conference Final, answered the Canes opening push.

And they did so quickly. 

Shea Theodore scored just 1:20 after Ehlers’ second goal to make it 2-1. Keegan Kolesar was right in front of Andersen on Theodore’s shot from the point. The puck deflected off Carolina’s Eric Robinson in front and came after the Hurricanes were unable to clear the puck as Vegas cycled in the offensive zone.

The Golden Knights tied the game on a perfectly placed shot by Ivan Barbashev high on the stick side of Andersen just 30 seconds into the second period. The goal came after defenseman Jaccob Slavin was unable to clear the puck, turning it over in the Canes defensive zone.

“We had a pretty bad turnover to get them back in the game when there’s really no reason for that,” Brind’Amour said.

Vegas then took their first lead of the series on a goal by William Karlsson about four minutes later. Vegas won an offensive zone faceoff, and Mitch Marner made a terrific pass from behind the net to Karlsson, who was all alone in front of Andersen. 

But the Hurricanes, 12-1 in the postseason entering the game, turned a Vegas turnover into a game-tying goal by Staal. Noah Hanifan was unable to clear and K’Andre Miller held the puck at the blue line. He found Staal, one of just two Hurricanes players to win a Cup previously. Staal fired a shot to beat Hart with 8:18 left in the second period.

“He’s dragging us into this for sure,” Brind’Amour said of Staal.

The third period, too, began with fireworks. Brett Howden scored 81 seconds into the period, tipping in a shot from Theodore, to give Vegas a 4-3 lead. Another failed clearing attempt, this one by Jalen Chatfield, led to the scoring opportunity.

Again, however, the Canes would respond. The puck squirted out to Gostisbehere off a faceoff scrum in the offensive zone, and he beat Hart to the blocker side with 8:41 remaining in the third period.

But Carolina couldn’t take the lead nor could it force overtime where it is 5-0 this postseason. It was Vegas, which won its seventh consecutive game in these playoffs.

“Those are mistakes we made tonight that really you just don’t make,” Brind’Amour said, “and we made too many of those.”

They definitely wanted a better ending.

NHL commissioner lauds ‘extraordinary owner’ Dundon

Before the game, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman praised Hurricanes owner Tom Dudon for his work with the franchise.

Dundon purchased a majority stake in the team in 2018, hired coach Rod Brind’Amour a few months later and the team has reached the playoffs every season since, including four trips to the Eastern Conference Final and, now,<iframe id="22364197-iframe" src="https://legacy.wral.com/video/nikolaj-ehlers-it-s-only-one-game/22364197/?version=embedded_v2&player_options=%257B%2522embedded_autoplay_next%2522%253Atrue%257D" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen class="wral-embedded-player" style="width: 576px; height: 324px; background-color: transparent; border: 0px none transparent; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></iframe> finally a Stanley Cup Final appearance.

“Tom Dundon has been an extraordinary owner in terms of what he’s brought to the operation of this franchise on and off the ice,” Bettman said during his pre-Final press conference. “Obviously, his work in terms of creating a competitive and successful team is the reason we’re here. This team is more part of the community than it’s ever been.”

Bettman noted support from the business community and government, including the approval of a $300-million renovation project at Lenovo Center backed by tax dollars. 

Dundon recently led a group that purchased the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, where he has been under scrutiny for cost-cutting measures – some real and some perceived.

“Tom may not always be – because we’re hearing this out of a different market — the most conventional owner, but nobody can argue with his commitment to the sport, to the community and to making the team successful for the benefit of the community and that fans,” Bettman said. “He’s been great for us all the way.”

He said that the NHL would bring events to Raleigh once the renovations and development outside the arena are complete.

North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick attended Game 1 as a guest of Bettman and sat with the commissioner. Duke men’s basketball coach Jon Scheyer was also in attendance.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Canes owner Tom Dundon and team's success on Raleigh as a hockey market. pic.twitter.com/Qc6Vo70bTJ