Hertl scored late to win Game 1?

Golden Knights’ Game 1 rally vs. Hurricanes

Tomas Hertl scored at 16:36 into the third period to break an early-and-late back-and-forth and lift the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.

The turning point came after Carolina took control early and then appeared to have momentum when Vegas had to climb out of an early deficit. Multiple game narratives focus on the speed of Carolina’s start—Nikolaj Ehlers scored just 25 seconds into the game—and on how Vegas responded to avoid being pulled into a comfortable Hurricanes tempo.

What happened in the matchup

• Carolina opened fast, with Ehlers scoring extremely early (25 seconds).
• Vegas fell behind, then mounted a comeback through sustained pressure.
• Hertl’s goal in the third gave Vegas the kind of lead that forces late-game urgency from Carolina.
• The final score (5-4) reflects a high-event, back-and-forth game rather than a controlled runaway.

Why this matters

Game 1 sets the tone for a Cup Final series, and Vegas’s ability to win away from home while still absorbing an explosive early punch from Carolina signals confidence and resilience. For Carolina, the loss matters because it interrupts their chance to convert early dominance into a quick series advantage; they now must respond without turning the next game into a chase mentality.

With the series already producing quick momentum swings, the early theme is clear: if Carolina keeps finding early strikes, Vegas’s counter is to keep games unstable until late, when players like Hertl can decide the outcome.