The Carolina Hurricanes waited 20 years for another trip to the Stanley Cup Final.<\/p>\n
Read more How early Hurricanes goal in Game 1 nearly made NHL history \u2014 and a Vegas goal did<\/a><\/p>\n It took them 25 seconds to score in it, but they\u2019re going to have to wait at least another two days for another win.<\/p>\n Nikolaj Ehlers\u2019 early goal Tuesday had the Lenovo Center faithful on their feet and roaring, and Ehlers soon scored again as the decibel count soared, but Game 1 against Vegas was anything but a Canes breakaway. The Golden Knights regrouped, made the most of their chances and took a 5-4 victory at Lenovo Center.<\/p>\n Tomas Hertl\u2019s goal with 3:24 left in regulation was the winner in a tight-checking, hard-fought game. Hertl took a pass from Colton Sissons on a give-and-go and beat Canes goalie Frederik Andersen with a shot from the slot.<\/p>\n Game 2 is set Thursday at Lenovo Center before the series moves to Las Vegas for two games.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a good team and I thought they played a little better than us and had an aggressive forecheck,\u201d Canes captain Jordan Staal said. \u201cThere were some good things we had, and the game\u2019s there. But we\u2019ve got to be better.\u201d<\/p>\n The Canes came into game 12-1 in the playoffs, their loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the first game of the Eastern Conference final. But they reeled off four straight wins to reach the Cup Final for the first time since 2006, Carolina\u2019s Cup-winning season, and it had been celebration time in \u201cRaleighwood\u201d the past few days<\/p>\n It was a party scene outside the arena before Tuesday\u2019s game, with a band to liven things up, and again thousands tailgating.<\/p>\n After formal introductions of the starters \u2014 and loud boos for Vegas goalie Carter Hart \u2014 they finally dropped the puck, and it was game on.<\/p>\n It was 3-3 after two periods in a game of ebbs and flows \u2014 the Canes with the better first period, the Golden Knights controlling much of the second. It was a duel of forechecks from mirror-image teams and the Golden Knights in the end caused more problems than the home team.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t handle their pressure particularly well,\u201d Canes coach Rod Brind\u2019Amour said. \u201cWe made some poor decisions with the puck and they capitalized. Obviously, that was the game, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Brett Howden\u2019s pushed Vegas ahead early in the third after the Golden Knights hemmed the Canes into their zone. Howden\u2019s redirection of Shea Theodore\u2019s pass came at 1:21 of the period, which began with the Canes killing off the remainder of a penalty and unable to make a full change.<\/p>\n A goal by Shayne Gostisbehere again tied it, the defenseman jumping on a loose puck in the left circle after a faceoff in the Vegas zone.<\/p>\n It was a gritty game, more grinding than free-flowing. But that should be the nature of a series that matches two teams that value the puck and are stubborn in giving up good shots against.<\/p>\n With his first goal, Ehlers became the second player on record in NHL playoff history to score on his first shot to start the Cup Final. With his second, he became the first player since Al MacInnis of Calgary in 1989 to score twice in the first period of an opening game in the Cup final.<\/p>\n Defenseman Jalen Chatfield had assists on both goals \u2014 his first multi-point playoff game.<\/p>\n The Golden Knights, after sweeping the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final, were playing their first game in a week. It showed. They were a half-step slow in the opening period, managing four shots on goal and fumbling the puck a few times.<\/p>\n But Vegas got a break when a shot by defenseman Shea Theodore hit the leg of Canes forward Eric Robinson in front of the crease and got past Andersen. The Canes\u2019 lead was 2-1 after the first.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a great start,\u201d Brind\u2019Amour said. \u201cThen we had a pretty bad turnover to get them back in the game. There was no reason for it. We weren\u2019t under siege there, and we kind of tossed it away and they made us pay on it.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more Work on Durham urban wetland to reroute downtown traffic for months. What\u2019s coming?<\/a><\/p>\n It was all Vegas early in the second as the Canes were caught out of position defensively in their zone and the Golden Knights made the most of it, Ivan Barbashev scored 30 seconds into the period, and William Karlsson at 4:35 off a sharp setup pass from Mitch Marner.<\/p>\n Just like that, Vegas had the lead. But the Canes had an answer before the second period ended.<\/p>\n Defenseman K\u2019Andre Miller picked off a Noah Hanifin pass near the Vegas blue line and quickly got the puck to Staal near the left circle. Staal wristed a shot past Hart and let out a big howl after his third goal of the playoffs.<\/p>\n Staal\u2019s oldest brother, Eric, was picked to sound the warning siren before the start of Game 1. Eric Staal starred on the Canes\u2019 2006 Cup champions and gladly handled the siren assignment.<\/p>\n But it proved to be the Golden Knights\u2019 night. No road team in Cup Final history had won Game 1 after being down two goals., going 0-55. Vegas changed that.<\/p>\n NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, in Raleigh for the Cup Final, said Tuesday that the 2027 All-Star Weekend will be held Feb. 5-6 at UBS Arena and hosted by the New York Islanders.<\/p>\n A new format will include five teams competing in a 3-on-3 tournament. Teams from the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden, plus a \u201cWorld\u201d team of international players \u2014 including Russian players \u2014 will play a round-robin event. The winning team will receive top prize of $2 million.<\/p>\n Bettman said an All-Star Weekend would be held every two years.<\/p>\n Brind\u2019Amour played for a Stanley Cup, and now is coaching for one with the Canes.<\/p>\n Were the butterflies the same going into Game 1?<\/p>\n \u201cSurprisingly, yes,\u201d Brind\u2019Amour said Tuesday after the Canes\u2019 morning skate at Lenovo Center. \u201cI have no impact on this game at all other than I prepare the team, and I\u2019m sitting there and have a better seat than you (media) do. But I do have the butterflies. Which is good.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want that. If you don\u2019t have them, what would you be in this game for? It\u2019s an exciting time.\u201d<\/p>\n