Vegas opened the championship series with a 5‑4 win over Carolina on Tuesday, stealing Game 1 on the road against a opponent that had ruled the East.
Hertl provides the deciding goal
Tomas Hertl slipped the puck past Frederik And ersen with under four minutes left in the third period to cap the comeback. Shea The odore and Brayden McNabb combined for six points from the blue line, while Mitch Marner added an assist and a key blocked shot in the closing seconds.
The scoreboard made the point with less ceremony than everyone around it.
Carolina got two goals from speedster Nikolaj Ehlers, but the Hurricanes were pinned back for the final two periods and finished with too many turnovers to pull even.
Even a defense that had shut down three straight opponents found itself scrambling late in the night—it was the kind of breakdown that can change a series before the teams even leave the ice.
What comes next
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday in Raleigh. The Hurricanes will need a win to keep a home‑ice split with in reach; a loss would hand Vegas a two‑game cushion before the series heads west.