Hertl breaks tie late, Golden Knights edge Hurricanes in Game 1 of Cup Final

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Tomas Hertl took the reward and deflected the credit.

"Obviously, when you score a game-winner it's a pretty nice touch, but I'm just proud about our team effort, every single guy," Hertl said. "It's not always about the goals, it's just the details. Massive blocked shots, all the little stick saves, all at this time of the year matters. After a rusty start I think we did a lot of good things."

Hertl scored the go-ahead goal with 3:24 remaining in the third period off a pretty give-and-go play with Colton Sissons, and the Vegas Golden Knights won a back-and-forth Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 at Lenovo Center on Tuesday.

Hertl's goal came just 21 seconds after Carter Hart kept it 4-4 by making a glove save on Seth Jarvis' one-timer from the right circle at 16:15.

Vegas, which trailed 2-0 in the first period, became the first road team in NHL history to stage a multigoal comeback win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

"I think it says a lot about the locker room we have, the leadership, the experience that everybody has been through," Vegas forward Brett Howden said. "I think that goes a long way and I think it showed here tonight."

Shea Theodore had a goal and two assists, Brayden McNabb had three assists, and Hart made 25 saves for the Golden Knights, who have won a franchise-record seven consecutive postseason games since Game 5 against the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Second Round.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice in the first period, Jordan Staal and Shayne Gostisbehere also scored, and Frederik Andersen made 18 saves for the Hurricanes, who also lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens before winning the next four.

Game 2 of the best-of-7 series will be here on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, CBC).

"It's a battle and it's going to be a grind, and we're expecting that," Staal said. "It's a tough loss for sure, but like I said, we're going (to have) to get our game in better shape if we want to beat this team."

Ehlers gave Carolina a 1-0 lead 25 seconds into the first period. He kept the puck on a 2-on-1 and scored past Hart's glove with a shot from the left face-off circle.

It was the third-fastest opening goal in Game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final, and the fastest since Reggie Leach scored 21 seconds into the 1976 Final for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Ehlers struck again at 12:08, this time scoring on a breakaway set up by Jalen Chatfield to extend Carolina's lead to 2-0.

The Golden Knights huddled around their bench during a media timeout 20 seconds later and listened to coach John Tortorella implore them to play north and with patience.

"We have thoughts on how to play this team, and when we were down 2-0 I don't think we were playing that way, so we just discussed that," Tortorella said.

Vegas scored its first of three consecutive goals at 13:28, when Theodore's one-timer from the right point deflected in off Eric Robinson's left shin to make it 2-1. It came off a low-to-high pass from Cole Smith to McNabb, who then moved it across to his defense partner for the shot.

"We get it deep, we win the puck back, get traffic," forward William Karlsson said. "Hockey is simple that way."

Ivan Barbashev tied it 2-2 just 30 seconds into the second period, scoring short side with a high wrist shot from the left face-off circle after receiving a feed from Jack Eichel.

Barbashev's goal also made Stanley Cup Final history. It is the first time a goal has been scored in the opening 30 seconds of both the first and second period in any game.

Karlsson gave Vegas a 3-2 lead at 4:35, scoring from the slot off Mitch Marner's pretty backhand pass from below the goal line.

"Teams are going to have pushes and we've got to do a better job of weathering them," Jarvis said.

A little more than eight minutes later, Staal ended the Golden Knights' scoring streak by cashing in off a turnover by Noah Hanifin to tie it 3-3 at 12:42.

Howden put Vegas back in front 4-3 at 1:21 of the third period. He cut through the left circle behind Chatfield and redirected a diagonal pass from Theodore under Andersen's right arm.

Gostisbehere tied it 4-4 at 11:19, scoring unassisted from the left circle off a face-off following an icing by the Golden Knights. The goal came 16 seconds after Carolina killed off Mark Jankowski's penalty for delay of game at 9:03.

But then Hart made the save on Jarvis and eventually Sissons and Hertl worked their give-and-go, with Hertl scoring from between the hash marks with a shot past Andersen's blocker to push the Golden Knights in front of the game and, ultimately, the series.

"I've said it all the way through the playoffs, it's a find a way league," Tortorella said. "We found a way tonight."

NOTES: Theodore and McNabb became the first set of defensemen on the same team to each record three points in Game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final. It's the third time a defense pair has teamed up to do that in any Stanley Cup Final game, joining Brian Leetch (four points) and Sergei Zubov (three) with the New York Rangers in Game 4 in 1994, and Charlie Huddy and Paul Coffey (three each) with the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 in 1985. … Hertl's goal was the latest go-ahead goal in a Stanley Cup Final game since 2017, when Patric Hornqvist scored for the Pittsburgh Penguins at 18:25 of the third period in Game 6 against the Nashville Predators. … Howden's goal was his League-leading 11th of the postseason. … Marner's assist on Karlsson's goal was his League-leading 22nd point.