The Golden Knights might need their goalie to steal Game 6 Luckily for them, they have a Stanley Cup winner sitting on the bench — one with playoff pedigree, a history of playing lights-out after being thrown into a series, and a lot to prove. My column ⤵️

“We’ve done it the hard way all season, and we’ll have to do it one more time.” — Brayden McNabb

Final- Hurricanes 4, Golden Knights 2 Carolina pushes Vegas to the brink. The Cup will be in the building on Sunday. The Golden Knights will try to force a Game 7 back here in Raleigh.

Brandon Bussi has been stellar all night. Theodore's shot hit the post, and Bussi lunged over to stuff the rebound attempt by Hertl.

Ehlers bats the puck out of the air, and over the glass. That's his 2nd delay of game penalty of the game, and Carolina's 3rd. Vegas will have a 6-on-4 coming up with 2:13 to play.

Pavel Dorofeyev scores his second of the game to make it 4-2 with 6:11 to play.

Carter Hart was the first goalie in NHL history to allow 4+ goals in each of the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final. Now he's the first to do it in five.

Holy smokes what a play by Nikolaj Ehlers. He spins to catch a pass that was behind him, and finds Svechnikov on the backdoor for a tap in. 4-1 Carolina

Mark Stone catches Jalen Chatfield with a high stick, and it's a double-minor. Carolina to the power play up 3-1 with 11:22 to play.

Brandon Bussi robs Howden's redirect from the doorstep with his glove.

Incredible play by Sebastian Aho, and it's 3-1 Hurricanes. Walker sent a pass into his skates on the weakside of the play, and Aho collected it off his skate blade, and roofed the shot immediately.

Partial breakaway for Brett Howden, but Bussi was aggressive with the paddle down poke check and fought the chance off. Lenovo Center is chanting "Bus-si" every chance they get tonight.

Svechnikov beats Hart 5-hole to give Carolina a 2-1 lead. Lauzon was screening Hart a bit on the play, but it looked like he was just not ready for the shot. Likely anticipating a pass coming, and Svechnikov surprised him with a hard, low shot.

William Karlsson heads to the dressing room after getting his left arm looked at by a trainer on the bench. He took a hard hit from Sean Walker on the last shift.

Taylor Hall cross-checks Brayden McNabb away from the puck. McNabb returns the favor with an even harder cross-check in the corner.

Vegas' power play did everything but score on that one. Very dangerous throughout. Bussi made a couple of nice saves, and a few other chances were just off.

Before last year's Cup Final, only 4 players in the expansion era had scored at least 6 goals through 5 games of the Cup Final. In the last two years, it's been done by Brad Marchand (37) and Jordan Staal (37). An era of senior dominance on the biggest stage.

Jordan Staal is, indeed, killing the Golden Knights in front of the net. What a tip.

Jack Eichel slices through the defense, and finds Dorofeyev for a backdoor one-timer into a wide-open net. 1-0 Vegas

Ehlers takes the first penalty of the game by flipping the puck over the glass. That was an odd one. He was just trying to spring his winger with a lob pass, and overshot it out of play. Vegas gets an early power play chance.

Mike Commodore cranked the siren in his robe Lenovo Center is rocking for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final

John Tortorella starts the Eichel line. Brind'Amour unsurprisingly counters with the Staal line.

Golden Knights pregame line rushes for Game 5 of the Cup Final: Barbashev–Eichel–Stone Howden–Karlsson–Marner Hertl–Sissons–Dorofeyev C. Smith–Dowd–Kolesar McNabb–Theodore Hanifin–Andersson Lauzon–Coghlan Hart Hill

Brandon Bussi and Carter Hart lead their teams onto the ice for warm-ups in Raleigh.

Is this the worst Stanley Cup Final goaltending of the NHL’s salary cap era? Short answer: Yes. It’s the lowest combined save % in a Cup Final in 53 years. Long answer: ⤵️

Five hole! The goalies are struggling in the World Cup too

Frederik Andersen is not on the ice for Hurricanes morning skate. Brandon Bussi is in the starter’s crease.

Is this the worst Stanley Cup Final goaltending of the NHL cap era? On @theathletic.com ⤵️

No goals and two assists through four games of the Stanley Cup Final Jack Eichel has another level – and the Golden Knights need it now My story on @theathletic.com-

Brandon Bussi on where this win ranks in his career: “The next one is always the best one, so that’s all I’ll say about that.”

Final- Carolina 5, Vegas 3 This incredible Stanley Cup Final is tied 2-2 heading back to Raleigh. The hockey has been tremendous.

Ehlers rims it off the boards, and somehow into the empty net. 5-3 Carolina

Brandon Bussi robs Eichel's backdoor one-timer with an incredible lateral save.

Unbelievable sequence, and Jordan Staal scores a goal from his stomach to make it 4-3 Carolina. First, Seth Jarvis had it all alone in front. He tried deking around Hart, who stuck with him and blockered it away. Staal scored seconds later. This series

It's astounding how much of a mess the Hurricanes are in their own zone. Seam passes available whenever and wherever the Golden Knights want. This defensive structure is unrecognizable from the team we watched all season.

That was Brett Howden's league-leading 14th goal of the playoffs. The next-closest player has 10.

The Golden Knights have only 7 shots on goal, but 6 high danger chances. They haven't had the puck a ton in Carolina's zone, but when they have it has led to dangerous looks.

Mitch Marner had the secondary assist on Karlsson's goal. That brings his point total to 29 this postseason, nine more than the next-closest player.

I've been talking about Andersen chasing the play all series, so it's only fair to point out Bussi was chasing that one the whole way, and didn't catch up in time for Karlsson's blast.

Brayden McNabb appeared to have scored at the buzzer, but it was after the clock hit 0.0 Score remains 3-1 Carolina

Fantastic blocker save by Bussi on Ivan Barbashev's one-timer near the end of the first period. Just such a smart play to not default into RVH with the puck behind the net. He held his edges, which gave him the leverage to jump way out for that Barbashev shot.

Tortorella's swap of Andersson and Lauzon is already over. Andersson was back out there with Hanifin that shift.

It has felt like almost every single shot of this game has been a Grade-A, high-danger chance. What in the world happened to these two defensive powerhouses? It's fun hockey, don't get me wrong. They just look nothing like they've looked all year without the puck.

Jordan Staal jumps on a rebound in front, and makes it 3-1 Carolina.

Mark Stone gets his second breakaway of the first 8 minutes of the game. This time he fakes a slap shot, dekes around Bussi and buries it. 2-1

Incredible pass by Taylor Hall to set up Jackson Blake for a backdoor of the power play. 2-0 Hurricanes less than 4 minutes into the game.

Mark Stone breakaway, and Brandon Bussi stones him with a right pad save.

Two goals in a row off the end boards. This time it's Carolina. Hart tried swatting at it, missed, and it bounced straight to Stankoven, who buried it. 1-0

T-Mobile Arena is ready for Game 4

Golden Knights pregame line rushes, with Hanifin and Lauzon swapped: Barbashev–Eichel–Stone Howden–Karlsson–Marner Hertl–Sissons–Dorofeyev C. Smith–Dowd–Kolesar McNabb–Theodore Lauzon–Andersson Hanifin–Coghlan Hart Hill