Dramatic comebacks, record-setting performances, and nail-biting finishes have defined the Stanley Cup Final matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes. The question now is whether this series ranks among the finest championship rounds in hockey history.
“Everyone that texts me is saying it’s the best hockey they’ve ever watched,” Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin said. “It’s been fun to play. There’s a lot of momentum swings in the games, and I feel like it’s one of those series where you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
The series’ unpredictable nature has created compelling television each evening since it started, resulting in the highest viewership numbers for a final in more than ten years. With the teams deadlocked at 2-2 heading into Thursday night’s Game 5 in Raleigh, a sixth game is assured, guaranteeing the Cup will be present Saturday evening in Las Vegas.
Here’s what has elevated this series to legendary status:
The opening game saw Carolina jump ahead 2-0 just over 12 minutes into the contest, then trail 3-2 before equalizing late in the game, ultimately falling when Tomas Hertl scored the decisive goal with 3:24 remaining in the final period.
Game 2 featured Vegas holding a 2-0 advantage with under 10 minutes left in regulation, followed by a wild sequence of four goals — plus one that was disallowed — culminating with Mark Stone’s equalizer with 81 seconds on the clock. With Hertl serving a penalty, Seth Jarvis netted the overtime winner for the Hurricanes.
The third contest saw the Golden Knights build a commanding 4-0 lead in the final period following Mitch Marner’s hat trick, which prompted Carolina to change goaltenders. The Hurricanes mounted a complete comeback with four consecutive goals, only to lose when Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore’s shot caromed off the boards and deflected off goaltender Brandon Bussi 5:38 into the second overtime.
Game 4 witnessed Carolina establishing leads of 2-0 and 3-1, with Vegas responding both times to level the score. Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal netted the winning goal with 13:28 remaining to square the series.
This marks the first championship series in NHL history where each of the opening four games featured a team overcoming a multi-goal deficit to tie the contest. The first two games both ended with comeback victories, just one short of the record of three such games established in both 1950 and 1987.
Defense has been largely absent from this series. Both clubs entered having surrendered the fewest and third-fewest goals during the first three playoff rounds. Instead, they’ve combined for 33 goals through four games, the most since the New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars totaled 36 in 1981.
— At least four goals were recorded in each period spanning from the second period of Game 3 through the opening period of Game 4. This represents only the second occurrence of such scoring in three consecutive regulation periods, and the first since the Islanders and Flyers achieved this feat during Games 5 and 6 in 1980.
— Vegas forward Brett Howden tops all playoff goal scorers this year with 14, surpassing the franchise mark established by Jonathan Marchessault during his Conn Smythe Trophy-winning performance as playoff MVP in the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup championship.
— Marner’s natural hat trick — three consecutive goals — occurred within 6 minutes and 10 seconds. This easily eclipses the previous championship series record of 11 minutes and 27 seconds set by Ted Lindsay for Detroit in 1955.
— The Hurricanes became the third franchise to net four or more goals in each opening game of the final, joining Montreal in 1973 and Boston in 1970. Their Game 3 rally featured the three fastest goals in championship series history, scored within a 39-second span.
— Staal’s gap between championship series goals — from June 9, 2009, with Pittsburgh, until Game 1 on June 2, spanning 6,202 days — exceeded brother Eric’s record of 6,198 days from 2006 to 2023, according to Sportradar. Jordan became the first player since Mario Lemieux in 1992 to score five goals in the opening four championship games and the first since Mike Bossy in 1982 to find the net in each of the first four contests.
Only twice before has a Cup final seen the score tied at some point during the third period in each of the first four games. The last occurrence was between Chicago and Tampa Bay in 2015, with the previous instance being St. Louis and Montreal in 1968.
The opening three games were each decided by a single goal for only the tenth time in history. An empty-net goal by Nikolaj Ehlers in Game 4, a long-distance clear that was itself a spectacular play, prevented a fourth consecutive one-goal decision.
Despite featuring teams from smaller, non-traditional hockey markets, television audiences nationwide are watching. The first three games have drawn the largest viewership for a final since the Blackhawks faced the Lightning 11 years ago, averaging 4.9 million viewers on ABC. ESPN/ABC reported Game 3 attracted the most viewers for a championship game since Carolina-Detroit in 2002, reaching 5 million.
Goaltending has not been the series’ strongest element, although Vegas’ Carter Hart and Carolina’s Frederik Andersen and Bussi have delivered several crucial saves.
Hart, Andersen and Bussi have posted a collective save percentage of .855, which would represent the lowest mark in a final since .850 in 1973 during the Montreal-Chicago series. This figure falls well below the regular season league average of .896, which was already the lowest since 1993-94.
Bussi became the third goaltender to make his inaugural NHL playoff appearance in the final and earn a victory, joining Hank Bassen in 1961 and Alfie Moore in 1938.
With Andersen capturing the Game 2 win, the Hurricanes are the first team since Edmonton in 1984 to have two different goaltenders each record a victory in the final. Only the 1984 Oilers and 1972 Bruins have won the Cup with multiple goaltenders starting and winning games in the championship series.
