Recap: The Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes paired up for a crucial Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final in Las Vegas. Carolina quickly took a 2-0 advantage immediately in the opening frame. Captain Mark Stone cut the Hurricanes lead in half with his seventh goal of the postseason. Carolina regained their two-goal edge five minutes later. The Golden Knights thought they had scored again but the puck didn’t cross the goal line before the period expired.
In the opening five minutes of the middle frame William Karlsson scored to make it a 3-2 Carolina lead. Brett Howden tied the game late into the period with his 14th ok goal of the postseason.
Carolina snapped the tie 6:32 into the final period. Vegas had several quality chances but couldn’t find the game tying goal. Eventually, the Hurricanes added an empty net score to end the game 5-3.
The Hurricanes tie the Stanley Cup Final 2-2 by defeating the Golden Knights 5-3 in Las Vegas. Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for Thursday at 5PM PT in Raleigh. (Recap by Jason)
Analysis: It’s been a story through the first four games of this series. The Canes start fast, VGK respond in the middle frame, and then Carolina gets the better of it in the 3rd. Fortunately, for Vegas they’ve been able take advantage of the middle frame dominance enough to walk away with a pair of wins (playing well in 2 OT helped). The balance of play has continued to go about the same where Carolina has a little better of the play more often than the Golden Knights, but VGK have been better at finishing their chances. On this night, it wasn’t enough as a few breaks went the way of Carolina including a VGK goal that was 0.1 seconds late in the 1st. Golden Knights are still in a perfectly fine position, start with cleaning up the starts. (Recap by Ken)
Upcoming stories from Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights vs Carolina Hurricanes at T-Mobile Arena.
- VGK’s finishing has been unreal
Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Mitch Marner
** Brett Howden
* William Karlsson
Pistol Pete
Teams have had trouble holding on to leads all series long. This one the Canes gave up a two goal lead twice.
If takeaways and giveaways are an accurate measurement of turnovers I have VGK +14 through game 3. This game was +10 Canes pretty much the difference but still just a one goal game down the stretch.
Back to Carolina.
JB
Had our chance to take command of the series, couldn’t do it. But still, it’s 2-2 so we are still in it!
KnightWatch
Another outstanding performance by the BMW line
The rest well… Jack… Calling Jack Eichel.
This can’t be the best course of action game after game
1st Bad, 2nd Good and the 3rd bad again
Regardless of how much season long practice they’ve had.
Use this as an excuse to win the Cup back at The Fortress
Frank
Jack was not terrible that game and had several dangerous chances. The one that rang of the post in the third period is one that probably should have gone in. All the bounces in that game pretty much went Carolina’s way….. We’ll be back – love our chances on the road in game 5 (and our record in game fives speaks volumes). Jack gets at least one in Carolina and we escape with the win, coming home with a chance to win the cup.
Leonard Wise
I’m sorry but I have take off the gloves. This team was not ready to start. Again can’t hold them under 4 goals. Again when they have a tie or a lead they give up a goal. Jack Eichel has been an embarrassment he’s afraid of the moment. Marner had to pass it to him 3 times before he would even shoot it. Give Carolina credit they beat us with a rookie goalie.
Frank
27 years old is not a rookie…. and further to that, I believe statistically, he was one of the better goaltenders in the regular season. And we still put 3 on him pretty easy. The mistakes in front of our own net killed us in game 4. And Hart needs to make one more save. That is the difference between winning and losing this series.
DL
What a series, so far!!!!
Ebbs and flows. Neither team taking it or giving it up. Neither team playing all 60 minutes. That’s for damn sure. Neither team able to shut it down. Neither of the now 3 goalies standing on their head. Good goals and bad goals. Strong plays and break downs. Ice in their veins and nerves showing. Hits and more hits. Comebacks and almost buzzer beaters. Overtimes and one goal games. Streaks and records broken. Blood, sweat, tears and noses shed.
And so on and so on….
Win one, lose one, win one, lose one. Safe to say this series could also be 3-1 or 1-3. Or could even have been a sweep either way. I guess we should be happy to be tied at 2-2. First four games are a draw. Now it’s a best of three series, without home ice advantage. Requires at least another win away from home. Been there, done that. Definitely doable again and anything is possible.
Go Knights Go!!!!
DeezNutz
I wouldn’t be so concerned if they didn’t piss away game 2 and almost choked one of the biggest cup final leads leads in history. Pucks are just going into the net way too easy. That game 2 they were defending perfectly and completely in the driver seat until Andersson’s bad decision.
I feel the magic of Hart from the Anaheim and Colorado series is now gone. He hasn’t been terrible considering the bullshit he’s had to put up with from our defense (Andersson every night and Theo tonight) but pucks are just flying past him in bunches.
Jack Eichel is simply not a goal scorer unfortunately. I thought he was much better at shooting the puck when we traded for him but he’s just not that guy. Marner is actually a play maker first and the guy has been getting hat tricks in these playoffs. I’m afraid there is no help from Jack on the way and the team is going to have to win 2 games without him now. Jordan Staal has completely rendered Jack useless and on top of it Staal is scoring tons of goals in between.
Andersson and Hanifin are not even close to what we thought we were getting. I would take an injured 75% Petro over both of those guys.
It just feels like Carolina knows how to beat us by pressuring our brain dead defense and flinging pucks at the net.
It’s a double edge sword because I don’t think we are 2 games away from a cup this year with Cassidy but I also think if Cassidy was the coach for this particular series we are able to close games out and manage the puck WAY better since that is what Bruce would drive into their heads by the final round like in 2023. I just don’t think we score this many goals if Bruce is the coach and not letting them play freely.
Carolina in 7 (because of game 2)
TS
Deez, I fear you are right. Truth hurts, but we may not be the miracle comeback team we all hoped for. It seemed we finally had all the pieces, all the tools, but the Canes have the desire and fire now..
Gonna be tough to regain the momentum, esp in Carolina….that fan base is Loud and proud!!
Leonard Wise
I agree with most of what you said Deez but I have seen Eichel score in the past and be aggressive. He doesn’t even try to shoot now and is constantly turning over the puck. He’s playing way below his capability. As for Hart he has stretches where he looks good then disappears and gives up a bunch of goals in short order. Obviously a good part of this is the defense ie Anderson. I think Carolina in 6. I hope I’m wrong. But this team continues to start slowly and get behind the eight ball. Or throws up all over it’s self with a 4 goal lead. I don’t see any signs of improvement.
Frank
So you think Carolina will win three straight against the VGK? No way that will happen. This series may go the distance – but I predict Knights in 6. I feel that we’ll play an awesome road game in game 5 – just like the previous two (coulda should woulda had game 2 – but we got jobbed on a bad call – it happens).
Pistol Pete
I don’t see why we can’t finally break this not lose two in a row since January 12, 13 streak and take this series in 6.
I was off on the takeaways/giveaways count. My recount has us +12 coming into game 4 but they went +12 this game making it dead even for the series. My count has them outshooting us by 11 for the series though landed shots does not reflect shot attempts a key metric.
Canes forechecking is pretty amazing a lot of the time they did not come into this series 12-1 for nothing they are good. Jordan Staal just killed us tonight again. Oh well we can still win this thing.
Tough to see the Eichel line with Stone struggle offensively in this series with each having just two points. Dorofeyev started the series on the Eichel line and he has zero points though several very good looks.
Eichel out pointed Marner in the regular season 90 pts (27G/63A) in 74 games compared to Marner’s 80 pts (24G/56A) in 81 games though arguably Marner playing center ate into his production. I refuse to give up on Jack the rest of this series stranger things have happened. Seems like he’s getting over defended thus far hopefully countermeasures can be implemented to address that.
Pistol Pete
Barbashev has just two points also I forgot to include that. Their top line has continued to struggle as they have the whole playoffs. Aho has 4 pts all assists the other two have just two points each. Freakin 37 year-old Staal has 5G/1A…killing us!
Pistol Pete
This series has not been kind on the goalies’ GAA and SV% either team. It’s been a tough series for them for example each was .857 tonight. Each made some really good saves. Presumably Bussi gets the game 5 start because he won though how much better he really was than Andersen I am not sure.
Frank
He really wasn’t better than Andersen. We can score on Carolina – just did not get the lucky bounce in the third – and they did….. this is hockey. Vegas strikes back in game 5. Book it!
Leonard Wise
Torts answered your question. When asked why is the first line struggling. He said who do you think the first line is. He doesn’t consider Eichel the first line. I also like Stone better on the 3rd line.
Leonard Wise
I liked it better with Stone and Hertal together on other line and move Doro down to Eichels line. Since Eichel doesn’t want to shoot at least Doro is more than willing to shoot and he’s starting to get close. Plus Stone Hertal and Sissons can move the puck around and all three are willing to take a shot
Pistol Pete
In noting the just two points each for the Eichel line I forgot the Stone and Eichel goals called back last game. There may also have been assists for that line on those goals not sure.
Leonard Wise
Eichel scored on Barbis goaltending interference. So no point and Theadore got it to Stone.
DeezNutz
So Marner is out here playing his ass off to win a Stanley Cup. One of the best post season performances of all time and trying to stick it to Leaf fans and media for chasing him out of town and also trying to prove to himself and his family and everybody that stood by him all these years and really make a statement and where is Jack Eichel? Remember, in 2023 Jack Eichel was in the exact same situation and could you imagine if Stone or Marchy or Karlsson just going completely ghost in those final 2 rounds and costing him a chance of achieving what everybody thought was impossible? I would be pissed off at those players also. Eichel has been in cruise control since the Olympics. I don’t care if he has 20 apples the guy has not been a threat in basically any of these series. I almost think he doesn’t like all the attention Marner is getting since joining the team. If he’s injured then bench his ass. If McDavid and MacKinnon are injured and playing at 70% they are at least still a major threat on the ice and not worth sitting but Jack is an absolute ghost and at the worst time when our best player is trying to make history and become a hero in his life’s story and our highest paid player is fucking useless. Jack already has his cup, Jack already has his gold medal so it’s fuck Mitch Marner right? Jordan Staal is dunking on your bitch ass and dick slapping you with tons of goals on top of it. If we lose because our highest paid player disappears then he needs to be on the 2nd line next season. Jack Eichel 3 goals total in 2x conference finals and 2x cup finals. It’s not good enough, I don’t care if you have William Karlsson shutting you down you get get your ass out there and elevate your game like your teammates did for you in 2023!
knights fan in minny
You know nothing little nutz
TS
I hv noticed that when we aquired Jack , and he scored goals, he didn’t celebrate with the other guys. He celebrated with himself!! He didn’t acknowledge his mates’ contributions!!
This is a real ” tell”.
I feel Jack isn’t a true team player. He’s in it for himself. He may very well be jealous of Marner’s successes. He HAS been a ghost since the Olympics. He has let off the gas, seems to just want to golf, instead……
Pistol Pete
Hi TS for once we completely and totally disagree!
Seems that what the Canes are doing to Eichel is what we did to MacKinnon, namely limit him to two assists in four games. Did MacKinnon have a greasy net front goal called back on him because his winger side swiped the goalie. No I don’t think he did. And btw the side swiping of Andersen by Barbashev did not clearly enable the goal. Eichel was in position to beat an unimpeded Andersen he probably scores either way.
knights fan in minny
The squad needs to stop shooting themselves in the foot
Pistol Pete
A lot of Eichel bashing going on here for a guy who has 63 points in 60 playoff games. How many active players are a point a game in the playoffs? Let me guess probably most but not all the guys who are a career point a game in the regular season. Here I’ll check:
There are 20 career point/game active players. Eichel is #17 Marner is #10. Of the 20 just 11 are a point a game in the playoffs and Marner and Eichel are among them. Three of them (Kaprizov, Malkin, and Makar) are exactly one point a game. Almost to a man the playoffs average is below the regular season.
In ascending order of the regular season averages those who are point a game or better in the playoffs:
McDavid
Kucherov
Crosby
Draisaitl
MacKinnon
Kaprizov
Marner
Malkin
Rantanen
Makar
Eichel
Those who wish to bash Eichel’s two assists and called back goal in this series can do so to their heart’s content but I’ll take his boatload of career assists any day of the week.
Pistol Pete
Let’s just see if Torts and Eichel can figure out a way to deal with this hamstringing of him. Through four games it’s worked for the Canes. It’s making him look worse than he really is. Obviously.
TS
Hope so, Pp. We need Eichel, and EVERY player, to play like it’s STANLEY on the line!!
Frank
Eichel is certainly not bad (as bad as some here would have you believe)…. however he does need to shoot more. If he does, he can put the puck in the net with the best of them…. however he is a playmaker at heart – always looking to pass first (witness all of the assists). He had a goal called back, has rang a few off the pipe…. The goal(s) will come the longer this goes on. Also, I have a feeling hes not entirely 100% (not that anyone really is at this point in the season)
Larry
It’s come down to a best 2 out of 3, 2 months ago who would have possibly thought we would be in this type of position, so let’s live in the moment and bask in it.
Unfortunately or fortunately my work was so busy yesterday I didn’t get a chance to view the game live, so don’t know how exactly we played.
Quite obviously, being down 2-0 7 minutes into the game is not a winning formula, but it’s essentially how every first period has gone where VGK has been severely outplayed, but in this case it was sadly reflected on the scoreboard.
The first 5 to 10 minutes on Thursday will be the test and barometer of where we are as a team , to withstand the energy and onslaught that is surely coming our way. Have to play smart and under control, and not let the situation overwhelm them, we are a veteran group so we need to play like it, protect the house and take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.
On the Eichel front, and the 1 Power Play I saw as well, perimeter passing between Marner and Eichel wasted probably close to a minute of actual game time, I think Mitch kept feeding him expecting a shot, the very shot he spends extra time at the end of practice attempting, any shot attempted is better than any shot not attempted!
Everything looks like it’s starting to snowball in the opposition’s favor, therefore I think OUR best and complete game is about to unfold.
Go Knights Go!!
still believe
Im going to keep believing until I cant believe anymore. I didnt give up hope against the Mammoth or the Ducks or even against colorado so im not going to start not believing now.
the main hope to the game tomorrow is to wothstand the opening minutes, i think back to game 6 against the stars when it seemed all the momentum was on their side and the Golden Knights blitzed them in the first, can history repeat itself? i know i will keep believing.
NAM
Honestly it was a pretty good game. CAR isn’t going to hand shit to this team and Vegas didn’t earn this one. On to the next. I am still amazed how much Karlsson brought this team back from the dead. The guy is simply so fucking good. He has allowed Marner to turn on juggernaut mode and Howden to continuously show his often muted talent. I’ve said 100x on here Karlsson is the keystone to this team period. He was in the other cup runs and he is in this cup run.
Eichel on the other hand. He was great in the last cup run, but something is a miss. He still is doing some things well, he is so talented, but is just off. People are bitching about the scoring, but to me his #1 assets is his crafty ability to move around the puck and keep it protected in the process. That ability is gone. He can’t carry the puck for shit right now and opposing guys are just eating him up and taking it or forcing him to bad pass it. It’s been really noticeable for me and killing momentum. I am sure CAR defense has something to do with it. Would be nice to see him get his mojo back and tilt the ice these last few games.
Hell of a series!
Frank
Very well said sir!
JB
Alright come on guys. Let’s don’t bury Jack and others so fast, geez! We are 2-2 vs an elite team. I am proud of our team and we are still right in it. Agree something’s up with Jack, injury, other? But don’t count him or others out of still doing something special in this series.
Rrale
Someone made a comment on Eichel playing back so he can help defend. He needs to stop that. IMO, he needs to shoot the puck and play offence while in the offensive zone.
Where has Doro been? If he is playing for a raise, he is not doing very good. IMO he is still only a real threat on the power play.
VGK need someone who can win face offs when needed. Carolina is kicking VGK ass. Shal has won about 70% of his face offs. Carolina puts Shal out to win face off then he gets off the ice in important face off situations.
VGK need to look into the mirror(s) and believe they can win 110 of the next 120 minutes of hockey. In other words, win the next two games and then worry about getting a tee time with the cup.
Rrale
Forgot to mention two of the biggest ghosts in this series Power Play of Penalty Kill.
Earl the Replanted Transplant
IF the series keeps going the way it has been trading games VGK in 7 at Carolina.
Please note that past performance does not indicate future returns.
Vegas is the better team IF they don’t give Carolina the advantage through mistakes. The problem is that Vegas has made horrible mistakes. I still believe they can pull it out and bring home the Cup.
vgk21
the Vgk are scoring enough to win. but they are giving up 4 and 5 goals a game. THAT is the real problem. gotta hold the opponent to 2 goals or less.
They are losing too many faceoffs, and too many netfront battles….they are playing shitty on the PP and the PK right now too. special teams are not very special right now. and Hart is up and down in performance in this series, with occasional periods of struggle.
and Lauzon is a big negative on net front coverage. sure, he bodychecks in the corner, but he is subpar in front of his net. did you notice the first 3 Canes goals he was on for all 3, just standing there watching them score. on the 3rd goal on the Pk he lifted Staal’s stick, but then allowed him to just put his stick down and tap in the rebound.
and the Vgk need dmen who can CARRY the puck out of their zone, which would beat the Canes forecheck and give the forwards a decent pass instead of a damn flipper to center ice which is a turnover most of the time.
as for Jack, he is not adjusting to the tactics of the opponent. His “office” is near the left boards, 40 feet from the net, which makes it easy to defend him. as Messier said, he needs to get off the perimeter, and in front of the net as he did on the goal that Barbashev interfered on.
but it was disappointing to see the Vgk come ouit so listless in the first period after 2 days off. where was the cup hunger? not evident enough
Rooster
Eichel needs to quit worrying about the face off so much, watch him, he’s overly frustrated everytime in the circle, he skates around then complains about Staal. Just get in get the damn puck and get on with it. I still believe in the boys but damn, play like you mean it. Cover the middle. VGK in 7
Richie-Rich
SCF G4 CAR 5, VGK 3
Game/Series Analysis
This series is tied. So, I am not ready to start wringing my hands and screaming. BUT!
The defense has to do a much better job protecting between the dots, winning pucks behind the net and not making dumb turnovers. Clean that shit up because if they do not they won’t win this series. That’s #1.
Second, regardless of the defense in front of him, Hart’s GAA and performance isn’t very good. Neither however is the goalie performance on the other side of the ice. I think Hart’s the better goal tender overall but that’s not evident in this series .. yet.
I am not whining and complaining about Jack Eichel. They are doing a good job of keeping him in check. Despite that, Jack did hit the cross bar in game 4, and if McNabb’s goal was a split-second sooner we wouldn’t be providing this somber and critical analysis at all.
On defense, Hanifan and Theodore need to stop the turnovers and play their positions, stop asking Hart to be the last line of defense. They need to step it up.
On offense, the power play is way too predictable. It’s always Stone down low looking for the centering pass to Barby, or the cross ice pass to the opposite side for a slap shot. The Canes are ALL OVER IT. Change it up!
I don’t know about you but after the goalie interference (running into him at full speed), the refs gave McNabb a penalty for a love tap cross check leaving the play at 4v4 instead of a VGK power play. I did not like that call at all. If they are going to call that then there’s at least 20 other cross check love taps that should have been called in this game. To be honest, that player should have paid a much higher price than a love tap cross check for plowing into Hart.
I still believe that the VGK is the better team overall. Clean up the mistakes and they will be fine. Game 5 is critical. The winner likely wins the Cup in either 6 or 7.
Jeffrey Sutton
Vegas has to win tomorrow. Either that or they have to win Sunday and Wednesday.
Rob S.
Both for those of you who are trying to bury Eichel and for those of you who are trying to make excuses for him, I am going to say the same thing I said after Game Two: I fully expect that we will learn–after the season–that Eichel has been dealing with major wrist/shoulder/arm injuries since the Olympics. He can’t hang onto the puck when contested, can’t win a faceoff, and can’t shoot either as hard or as accurately as we’re used to. I doubt he’s forgotten how to play–and it’s really stupid to say he doesn’t care (TS) or he doesn’t want Marner to win (Deez). It’s much more likely that he is physically unable to play to his standards. Let’s cut the guy some slack; some of you people are as bad as the Buffalo “fans.”
Easy to say and perhaps harder to do, but we need to do three things:
1) Start the damned games on time, not 10:00 into the first period
2) Stop the *multiple* stupid turnovers on the same possession in our own zone that set Carolina up for Grade A chances
3) Knock Staal down anytime he’s in front of the net (How does he continually get loose from both D-men five feet in front of Hart?)
From my perspective, I would also add:
4) Put Doro back on Eichel’s line (and Stone back with Hertl). Eichel can at least get the puck to Doro so he has a chance to shoot (which Hertl can’t) and Stone seemed to do well with Hertl and Sissons. Both Doro and Stone are wasted with the current setup.
And, of course, we need to fix the sorry excuse for a PP and the newly leaky PK, but it may be too late for the former and a regression to the mean for the latter.
larry
3) In todays new world of hockey there is no knocking a player on his keister in front of the net, there is no beating up and/or crosschecking a guy to move him, the best a defensive player can do is try to box him out or ‘tie his stick up’.
In no fashion would I be a proponent of Staal as his face is as least liked by me as the one his coach possesses, but he is a throwback to a different era as were his brothers in that he knows what he can get away with on the ice and especially within 10 feet of the goal, its simply a matter of desire on the part of the VGK defenseman to combat his presence.
larry
As a matter of curiosity if it were to take place…..
If Mcphee told the coach to start Hill tomorrow night and Tortorella was against it but agreed to do so, could he then pull a switcheroo and go against the agreement between the 2 cause he had a feeling to do so?
The same applies if Mcphee wanted to ride out the playoffs with Hart in control, but the coach decides to gamble cause he had a feeling and started Hill, who basically would have the final say so when the rosters are turned into the league before the game.
I only think and say this because the coach just may be not be playing with a full set of marbles at the present time.
Pistol Pete
Granger is right but as his article accurately points out Eichel has been better even in this series than his critics realize.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7347129/2026/06/10/jack-eichel-vegas-golden-knights-stanley-cup-final/
The Staal line has done a good job of neutralizing the Eichel line enough of the time for it to have been impactful. Again, I will point out we neutralized the MacKinnon line holding him to two assists in four games not unlike what the Staal line has done through four games and btw it was the Eichel line against the MacKinnon line that did the lion’s share of that work. We do need Eichel to finish on his chances no argument there. Have a feeling that will happen in game 5. I don’t really think he is playing injured not with 20 points in 20 games second only to Marner’s 29. Eichel leads the Cup Final with the most above 20 mph high-speed bursts. Does that sound like an injured player?
vgk21
Vgk success in this series will depend on whether Eichel and Hart can pick up their games, on whether the Vgk can improve on their special teams play, on whether the dmen can reduce their unforced error blunder goals, and whether the Vgk can play defensively tighter, especially in the 3rd period of games.