LAS VEGAS (AP) — Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal chose the simple approach to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final with Carolina trailing in the best-of-seven series.
But, the 20-year veteran’s winning goal on Tuesday night was anything but simple. Then again, considering how he has played against the Vegas Golden Knights in this series, perhaps it was.
With the game tied at 3 in the third period, Staal’s sprawling backhand shot while in the air with 13:29 left beat Vegas' Carter Hart and found the back of the net for his second score of the game, and it held up as the winner in the 5-3 victory.
“For a second, I wasn’t sure if it exactly went in, and I heard everyone go quiet,” said Staal, who lay face down on the ice after his acrobatic goal. “I heard some guys yelling. I was in my own world. It was an incredible moment, obviously, and just let a big yell go and then celebrated with the guys.”
It was yet another big moment that Staal found a way to spark his team when it needed it most.
The 37-year-old, who has five goals in the series, said as long as the wild and zany series that has been defined by “no lead is safe,” the Hurricanes have to pounce on every opportunity.
“There are fine lines of making plays, and we have to make big plays, there’s no question,” Staal said. “But it’s a simple game that we can run, and when you know when they maybe call uncle, and you jump on it. And that’s what they’ve done to us very well, as well. It’s just kind of a back-and-forth kind of stress game, and who can do it better."
Tuesday, that was Carolina.
The Hurricanes came out with a sense of urgency by taking a 2-0 lead early to set the tone, and dominated the shots on goal, 23-12 after two periods, and then withstood Vegas' late surge before Staal's heroics.
The series is tied at 2 and returns to Carolina for Game 5 on Thursday.
That's how long the Golden Knights have to figure out how to stop Staal from adding to his scoring tally.
“He’s killing us in front of the net, Staal,” Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said. “So, we have got to do a better job around the blue.”
Staal became the first player since Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders in 1982 to score a goal in each of the first four games of the final.
Staal also tied the second-longest playoff goal streak in franchise history, behind teammate Logan Stankoven, who set the record at five earlier this postseason.
He said he isn't concerned with milestones, though, or the fact that he has 11 points in these playoffs, including seven goals.
“I don’t think big picture right now, it’s too hard to think like that," Staal said. "It’s just like, my goodness, it’s the next shift, next play, next game, next everything. And that’s all that’s running through my brain, is how do we get two more wins.
"And that’s it.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart is scored on by Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal during the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal, right, celebrates his goal during the first period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal celebrates his goal during the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Carolina-Vegas series was largely expected to be a Stanley Cup Final in which goals were at a premium and each shift felt like a march up a well-defended hill.
Yeah, that isn't this.
Another two-goal lead went the way of the landline on Tuesday night, the go-ahead shot came from a 37-year-old on his stomach on one of the great runs in Cup final history, and the winning goalie made his first start in two months and doesn't know if that will be his last one this postseason.
None of it makes sense and yet it all somehow does in this series that is now even after four games — probably aptly so — because of Jordan Staal's second goal at 6:32 of the third period that came while sprawled on the ice in what became a 5-3 Hurricanes victory over for the Golden Knights.
“It's a wild ride, isn't it?” Staal said. “There's a lot of emotion, lots of ups and downs.”
Now the series heads back to Carolina for Game 5 on Thursday night. The Hurricanes will potentially have two games on home ice to win their first Cup in two decades. Coach Rod Brind'Amour captained that 2006 team, and though he's not ready to look at the big picture, he recognizes this is a unique final.
“I know I need to (appreciate it) because this doesn’t come across very often," Brind'Amour said. "But it is pretty stressful.”
The same applies at the other end, where the 9-year-old Golden Knights chase their second championship in four years. Their position isn't all that different from when the day started — two more wins and they're there — but now they need to win at least once more on the road.
“We need to flush it and get ready for our next game," Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “I don’t think we should be looking any farther than just the next game.”
Whichever team winds up losing can't point to a number of moments that could have changed the outcome.
Each game until this one was decided by one goal. It appeared this one would as well until Nikolaj Ehlers deposited an empty-net goal from 187 feet.
A two-goal lead has disappeared in all four games in what has been a remarkable series in which momentum often changes at a moment's notice. Each team has led by at least that many twice.
The 33 combined goals are tied for the third highest in a Cup final with the Islanders-Flyers series in 1980.
Staal became the first player in 44 years to score at least one goal in each of the first four games of the final and the ninth overall. Mike Bossy in 1982 with the New York Islanders against the Vancouver Canucks was the last player to score in the first four games of a final.
Ehlers' goal was part of a three-point night for him, Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist and Logan Stankoven scored a goal.
Brandon Bussi started in place of Frederik Andersen in goal and made 18 saves, and including his work in relief in Game 2, Bussi has 36 saves on 40 shots. Brind'Amour said that Andersen, who did not dress, needed the rest. Pyotr Kochetkov was the backup goalie with Andersen serving as the emergency goaltender.
“If you're going to give him a break, you need to give him a break," Brind'Amour said. “So to me, him dressing and going through all that does not really give him a night off.”
Mark Stone, William Karlsson and Brett Howden scored goals for the Golden Knights, and Carter Hart made 23 saves. Karlsson also had an assist.
The Hurricanes came out blazing, taking a 3-1 lead in the first period. Vegas nearly cut it to one, but Brayden McNabb's goal came right after the period ended and didn't count.
Vegas scored twice in the second to tie the game, and the Golden Knights have now outscored Carolina 9-1 in that period.
But the Golden Knights failed to add to that total, shifting home-ice advantage back to the Hurricanes.
“We knew it was going to be a tight series,” Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson said. “We’re playing a really good team and 2-2, best out of three and fly out to Carolina (Wednesday) and take care of business in Game 5.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden celebrates his goal during the second period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal, right, celebrates his goal during the first period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi, right, is scored on by Carolina Hurricanes left wing Nikolaj Ehlers as defenseman Alexander Nikishin watches during the second overtime in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov, center, celebrates his goal with defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, left, and center Sebastian Aho during the third period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, top, celebrates his goal with center Tomas Hertl during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
