Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracketESPN staffJun 3, 2026, 07:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
tamil yogi
If Game 1 is how all the games of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final will be played, we are all hoping for a long series.
The Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes traded scoring chances and goals back and forth throughout the 60 minutes, with the Knights emerging as the 5-4 victors.
Here’s a look back at how it all went down, as well as updated playoff stats leaders.
Read more:
Full schedule
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
Experts’ picks
Cup Final megapreview
Offseason guide for eliminated teams
Tuesday’s scoreboard
Vegas Golden Knights 5, Carolina Hurricanes 4
Golden Knights lead 1-0
With the crowd in Raleigh cranked up to 11, Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers provided an early reward with a goal 25 seconds into the game. He would add another at 12:08 of the first, and it looked like we were in for a rout. Vegas’ Shea Theodore would tally a goal through traffic at 13:28, however, making it 2-1 after one.
The second looked like a totally different game, as the Knights took over the momentum. That included a goal 30 seconds in from Ivan Barbashev to tie it, then William Karlsson’s second of the postseason about four minutes later to give Vegas its first lead. Carolina captain Jordan Staal scored on a seeing-eye laser at 12:42 to knot the score again after two.
Vegas got a quick one from Brett Howden (at 1:21) to take another lead … and the Canes came back to tie it, via an unassisted goal from defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. While some were mentally preparing for overtime, the Knights pulled off a slick play that ended on Tomas Hertl’s stick, and then in the back of the net with less than four minutes to go. Despite some furious attempts by Carolina, that goal would stand as the game winner. Game 2 is Thursday in Raleigh. Recap | Grades
Playoff scoring leaders
PlayerGPGAP1. Mitch Marner, F, Golden Knights
Click here for full list of stats leaders.
Playoff goaltending leaders
PlayerGPWGAASV%1. Arturs Silovs, Penguins
Click here for the full list of goaltender stats.
Stanley Cup playoff bracket
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