The Carolina Hurricanes have a 3-1 lead over the Vegas Golden Knights after the first period of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday.
Carolina is seeking to even up their best-of-seven series at two games apiece while the Golden Knights are trying to take a commanding 3-1 lead.
Logan Stankoven opened the scoring just over a minute into the game when the puck rebounded off the back boards right in front of the Vegas net. The puck was then corralled and tucked past netminder Carter Hart.
The Hurricanes added to their lead just over two minutes later when Jackson Blake walked into the slot and blasted his shot past Hart.
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone cut the Hurricanes’ lead in half later in the period on a breakaway, beating goaltender Brandon Bussi to make the score 2-1.
Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal restored his team’s two-goal lead halfway through the frame on the power play, cleaning up a rebound in front of Hart’s net.
Brayden McNabb thought he brought the Golden Knights within a goal in they dying seconds of the period, but the puck did not cross the goal line before time ran out
Carolina outshot Vegas 14-6 and went 1-for-2 on the man advantage. The Golden Knights went 0-for-1 on the power play in the period.
Bussi started in net for the Hurricanes for the first time during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Frederik Andersen had previously started all 16 games of the Hurricanes’ playoff run, going 13-2 with a .910 save percentage and 1.89 goals-against average.
However, Andersen allowed four goals on 16 shots in Game 3 and Bussi came into the game in relief in the third period. The Hurricanes rallied to tie the game in the final frame but ended up falling to the Golden Knights 5-4 in double-overtime.
Pyotr Kochetkov is backing up Bussi in Game 4 with Andersen not dressed.
Bussi went 31-6-2 in his first regular season in the NHL, with a 2.47 GAA and an .895 save percentage.
Carolina is in its first Stanley Cup Final since 2006, where they won the first-ever championship in franchise history.
The Golden Knights are in their third Stanley Cup Final in their nine-season existence and are going for their second championship after previously winning in 2023.
