Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division)
Raleigh, North Carolina; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -162, Golden Knights +135; over/under is 6
STANLEY CUP FINAL: Golden Knights lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights visit the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Tuesday for the fourth time this season. The Golden Knights won 5-4 in the previous matchup.
Carolina is 35-12-2 at home and 53-22-7 overall. The Hurricanes have a 28-9-2 record when scoring a power-play goal.
Vegas is 39-26-17 overall and 26-16-8 on the road. The Golden Knights have a 49-7-11 record when scoring three or more goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Seth Jarvis has 32 goals and 34 assists for the Hurricanes. Nikolaj Ehlers has six goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
Mitchell Marner has 24 goals and 56 assists for the Golden Knights. Jack Eichel has one goal and nine assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 8-2-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.2 assists, 5.1 penalties and 13.4 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.
Golden Knights: 8-2-0, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.4 assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Hurricanes: None listed.
Golden Knights: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
In less than 24 hours from permission granted to departure finalized, Chris MacFarland went from a key piece of the Colorado Avalanche’s front office to officially being out the door — and the speed of it has quietly turned into the first real question.
Chris MacFarland’s exit in Colorado didn’t come with much warning — or much resistance — and that alone is beginning to say something about where things stand inside the Avalanche organization.
Welcome to Smashville, Chris! 👋
We're proud to announce that Chris MacFarland has been hired as our President of Hockey Operations and General Manager.
On Wednesday, the Nashville Predators officially named MacFarland their President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, closing the book on a tenure in Colorado that ended almost as quickly as it was allowed to conclude. The timing, more than anything, has sparked the obvious question: was this a departure Colorado tried to prevent, or one they quietly accepted?
On paper, the Avalanche are still operating as a win-now team — Presidents’ Trophy expectations, Stanley Cup aspirations, and a core built around one of the most dominant groups the league has seen in years. But the results have stopped matching the billing. The championships haven’t followed, the draft capital has thinned out, and the roster is starting to show its age in key spots.
— 92.5 FM - Denver's Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) June 2, 2026
So when a senior executive is permitted to walk without much resistance, it naturally raises eyebrows. If MacFarland was truly viewed as part of the long-term foundation, it’s fair to wonder whether the organization would have drawn a harder line. They had the right to.
They didn’t use it.
Some will frame that as courtesy — a respectful send-off for a longtime executive earning a promotion elsewhere. Others will see it as something quieter and more telling: that internal change in Colorado may not be as far off as it looks from the outside.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
The guys react in real time as news breaks that Chris MacFarland is headed to Nashville. pic.twitter.com/Vy05jEq6Dp
Either way, it’s another storyline that will inevitably circle back to Joe Sakic the next time he addresses the media.
Familiar Pain, Familiar Opponent
From the outside, the Avalanche’s recent playoff history hasn’t offered much relief.
Last season’s disappointment again ended at the hands of Pete DeBoer and the Dallas Stars in a second consecutive seven-game first-round series. Dallas was dealing with injuries to key players like Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen, which only added to the frustration around Colorado’s exit.
And then there was Mikko Rantanen.
Moved earlier in the year in a decision that still hangs over the franchise, he was sent to the Carolina Hurricanes — only to later surface in Dallas and play a major role in eliminating his former team. It was one of those storylines that refuses to fade, no matter how many months pass.
By the time the series ended, the blame didn’t sit in one place. Assistant coach Ray Bennett ultimately absorbed the formal fallout, but MacFarland and head coach Jared Bednar were both pulled into the larger conversation about accountability within the organization.
Colorado’s power play issues were part of the story, but they weren’t the whole story. At different points, Dallas controlled the pace, dictated the physical tone, and forced stretches where the Avalanche struggled to respond.
One moment stood out more than most — Valeri Nichushkin taking a cross-check to the face from Jamie Benn, with little meaningful pushback afterward.
What stood out even more in hindsight was how that moment echoed beyond the Dallas series. The physical tone Benn established didn’t fade once the series ended. Instead, it became a reference point — not just for what Dallas did, but for how Colorado was increasingly being approached in the postseason. Test the edge. Challenge the response. See what breaks.
That blueprint didn’t stop. It followed them as Colorado refused to address their flaws.
Talent Without Enough Edge
There was an expectation afterward that Colorado would evolve into something heavier, something harder to play against. The reality only partially matched that idea.
Brent Burns brought experience and puck movement, but at this stage of his career he isn’t a player who changes the team’s physical identity. Josh Manson remains the closest thing Colorado has to that element, but injuries have kept him from being a consistent presence.
What hasn’t changed is the offense.
Nathan MacKinnon captured his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer. Martin Nečas, acquired in the Rantanen trade, was outstanding through the first two rounds of the playoffs — driving play, creating offense, and looking like one of Colorado’s most dangerous forwards. But like much of the roster, he went quiet against Vegas once the Golden Knights tightened space and removed time in transition.
Brock Nelson provided steady production after arriving, Parker Kelly broke out with a 21-goal season, and Scott Wedgewood alongside Mackenzie Blackwood formed a strong tandem, sharing the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals against during the regular season (minimum 25 games played).
Jared Bednar talking about Chris MacFarland Being a Finalist for GM of the Year: "No one is gonna outwork him, no one is gonna watch more games..."
Against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Avalanche were swept, and once again the gap between regular-season dominance and postseason reality became impossible to ignore.
At that level, skill doesn’t disappear — but it gets compressed. Space shrinks, time disappears, and structure takes over.
And against that structure, Colorado had no answer. Similar to Dallas, Colorado had no response to Vegas’ brutality.
The Cost Of Constant Recalibration
MacFarland’s approach was never reckless — it was deliberate. Aggressive when needed, patient when possible, always trying to keep the championship window from closing.
But over time, the accumulation of moves has left its mark.
Alex Newhook, drafted in 2019 and part of the 2022 Cup team, was traded to Montreal in 2023 for futures and a prospect who never became part of Colorado’s long-term core. In Montreal, he later delivered a breakthrough postseason, including a Game 7 overtime winner against Buffalo and a run to the Eastern Conference Final.
It’s exactly the kind of production that becomes more noticeable when depth scoring disappears in the spring.
On defense, Bo Byram’s departure still stands out. Now in Buffalo, he’s developed into a steady, mobile defenseman after being moved in the deal that brought back Casey Mittelstadt — a move designed to solve Colorado’s long-running search for a second-line center behind Nathan MacKinnon.
Perhaps the most striking reflection of that approach isn’t just in the roster turnover, but in what it has cost beyond it. Colorado does not own a first-round pick in the draft until 2029, and will not make a selection in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft either. For a franchise still operating with championship expectations, it’s a rare level of future compression.
Mittelstadt struggled to find consistency and was eventually moved again — packaged with Will Zellers and a draft pick to Boston for Charlie Coyle. Coyle’s stint didn’t last long either, later being dealt to Columbus with Miles Wood for Gavin Brindley and additional draft capital.
Brindley saw NHL time but finished the season back with the Colorado Eagles.
Layer after layer, the middle of the roster has been reshaped without ever fully stabilizing.
Cal Ritchie was included in the Brock Nelson deal — a move that delivered regular-season production but limited playoff impact. Nazem Kadri’s return brought familiarity and edge, but also a long-term commitment that now looks more complicated as his game ages.
Even smaller moves have added up. The Sam Girard for Brett Kulak trade remains one of the cleaner wins in that stretch.
But the overall direction is clear: Colorado has leaned heavily into a win-now identity that has steadily traded future flexibility for present urgency.
And that only works if the final step actually arrives.
So far, it hasn’t.
The Cycle Comes Full Circle
And now, with MacFarland gone and Joe Sakic once again central to the structure, the Avalanche find themselves circling familiar ground. Not a reset — a recalibration around the same philosophy that delivered the 2022 championship.
The problem is that everything around it has changed.
The core is older. The margins are thinner. And the same approach that once delivered a title has, in recent years, produced more questions than answers.
At some point, the bigger truth becomes hard to ignore.
You can’t keep selling your soul for short-term certainty and expect the same version of success to come back unchanged.
The 2022 team wasn’t just talented — it was stable. It grew together, stayed together, and understood exactly what it was when it mattered most.
Since then, the churn has been constant. Moves made for urgency. Moves made for fit. Moves made for a roster that keeps changing before it ever fully settles.
And that’s where the contrast becomes unavoidable. What once felt like a brotherhood built over years now feels more transactional — like everything has been broken up, moved around, and reassembled elsewhere, with pieces that don’t always naturally fit the same way.
Not bad players. Not bad intentions. Just a team that hasn’t been allowed to stay whole long enough to become what it once was.
And in the middle of it all, Sakic now finds himself back in a familiar position — trying to stabilize a structure he helped build, but didn’t always directly steer through its most aggressive decisions.
Because as MacFarland exits, there’s a growing sense of a familiar pattern underneath it all: when things don’t end in a championship, someone eventually becomes the face of the disappointment. Sometimes it’s a coach. Sometimes it’s an assistant. Sometimes it’s an executive cycle that quietly gets reshaped or replaced before the core ever truly changes.
MacFarland’s departure doesn’t land like a dramatic firing — but it also doesn’t feel entirely disconnected from that pattern either. Another layer of accountability, another shift in responsibility, another figure stepping out as the organization circles back toward the same core group that has defined its last era.
The difference this time is that Joe Sakic isn’t walking into a rebuild or a reset. He’s walking back into a familiar identity — one that already delivered a championship, but has since struggled to find the same level of finishing touch.
And whether MacFarland was the fall guy, a casualty of timing, or simply the next man to move on, the broader reality doesn’t change much.
But that’s the risk of a cup-or-bust mentality. You’re either a genius or the villain. Colorado, for a stretch, looked like neither was up for debate — they terrorized the entire league. It just didn’t carry through when it mattered most.
The Avalanche are still trying to solve the same problem they’ve been chasing since 2022.
They just keep changing who is held responsible for getting them there.
There are two things that I know for certain about the Vegas Golden Knights: they are inevitable, and they make things pretty entertaining along the way. Sometimes, to make things even more entertaining, they play dead for a stretch of time– usually early in the first period– to give their opponent a head start. And it doesn’t even matter how much of a head start their opponent gets, because they’ll still find a way.
They always find a way.
We are past the point of saying things like ‘doubt them at your own peril.’ They’ve done this so many times— seven times this postseason, to be exact— that if you’re still doubting the inevitability of their comebacks, there’s no hope for you.
The Golden Knights simply find a way. It doesn’t matter if they’re down 2-0 halfway through the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes, and it certainly doesn’t matter if they’re down 3-0 in the first period against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
The Golden Knights always find a way.
1. Hero in a Half Shell: Hertl Power!
No one loves to score goals more than Tomáš Hertl. Since snapping a 29-game scoring drought, the 32-year-old forward has four goals in his last eight games. Following the 5-4 win, Hertl revealed that an old friend from his days with the San Jose Sharks called him during the scoring drought and provided words of encouragement.
“My old teammate called me– Joe Pavelski– and I had a 30-minute talk with him,” Hertl said. “He actually helped me a lot. We’re pretty close…. He got me through a lot.”
With 3:24 remaining in the third period, Hertl scored a beauty from the slot to break a 4-4 tie. It’s his second goal in the last three games; both were game-winners to break a tie in the third period.
Also… He’s tired of answering questions about the scoring drought.
“This playoff, you guys have been asking me this all the time,” Hertl joked following the 5-4 win. “I thought, now that I’ve scored a couple of goals, it can be over.”
2. The Pit (Authentic Barbecue) and the Pendulum
Going into this Stanley Cup matchup, the national narrative was that this would be a “boring series,” because two defensively sound teams couldn’t possibly make things entertaining.
HA.
In terms of momentum swings, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining hockey game than Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. The Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, only to see the Golden Knights wrestle control of the game and take a 3-2 lead of their own in the second. From that point on, the teams traded goals until Tomáš Hertl’s tally late in the third period proved too much for the Hurricanes to overcome.
“It’s probably going to be that way through the whole series here, back and forth,” said head coach John Tortorella following the Game 1 win. “I have all the confidence in the world, no matter where the flows go. We’re not gonna get into a panic mode by any means. We may not come back, we may lose a game, but we’re going to do it without losing ourselves completely, because you can get really sloppy when you start panicking. I don’t think there's gonna be any panic in the team, no matter what happens in this series.”
These teams are both extremely good, and even after Game 1, it’s tough to predict how this series will play out. But if tonight’s showing was anything to go off of… Giddy up.
3. What Happens in Vegas…
The Golden Knights have a unique skill: they’re really, really good at falling behind in games and finding a way to win. During the regular season, it seemed like the ‘comeback king’ mantra would be their demise– because, really, how many ugly wins do the Golden Knights have in them?
As it turns out, the Golden Knights had quite a few ugly wins in them.
This Game 1 victory wasn’t pretty by any means– they gave up a 2-on-1 just 25 seconds into the game, and the Hurricanes made them pay. But it’s possible that an ugly win was the best thing that could have happened to the team.
All year, this team has played with the belief that, if they fell behind in games, they could simply come back and get right back into the fight. To win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final following that formula, by way of another miraculous comeback, can only make that confidence grow.
“We were in this situation quite a number of times in the regular season, so I feel like we’re kind of comfortable,” said defenseman Shea Theodore following the win. “Obviously, it’s never ideal. But I think when guys keep their heads down, keep pushing, keep trying to play the right way, then things end up kind of turning for us.”
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 02: Brett Howden #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights scores a goal past Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in Game One of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 02, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to a 2-0 lead and looked awesome until they didn’t.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights counter-punched and punched back hard as they went on to out-score the home team, 5-4 on Tuesday night to win game one of the Stanley Cup Final.
After the Hurricanes outhit the Montreal Canadiens by well over double the hits in the previous series, they were inexplicably outhit for this game, 35-26 on an energetic night where they had the crowd behind them.
Frederik Andersen had an amazing postseason so far, but looked quite ordinary on this night. At times he looked slow, especially in moving post to post. Perhaps his emotions caught up with him or perhaps it was just a bad luck night. He made 18 saves on the 23 shots he faced.
The game started off looking like the Nikolaj Ehlers show as the speedy winger broke in alone twice, and he was able to beat goalie Carter Hart both times. Goal number one came just 25 seconds into the game. His next goal came 12 minutes later.
The Knights had a slow start but were able to get a fluky goal past Andersen before the end of the period when Eric Robinson ticked in a Shea Theodore shot.
Vegas scored twice early in the second to take the lead, the first one just 25 seconds into the stanza but Jordan Staal rifled in a shot later in the second to tie the game.
Just 1:21 into the third period, Brett Howden got a step on the defense and tipped in a shot giving him 11 goals in the postseason.
About midway through the third, Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game on a nice approach shot. But as “Ghost” giveth he can also take away. Tomas Hertl beat the defenseman to the front of the net to score the game-winner.
After the game the blueliner admitted that he “took a breath” and was beat on the play.
It was an exciting game and both teams made numerous mistakes. I would expect that they both will make adjustments to tidy those up for Thursday night, but we will see.
For the first time in years, Darryl Sutter is stepping back into the spotlight—and he's bringing plenty of stories with him.
The former Calgary Flames bench boss is set to release a new book later this year, giving hockey fans a rare glimpse into the mindset of one of the NHL's most memorable and polarizing personalities.
Sutter Returns To The Spotlight With New Book
On Tuesday, Sportsnet's Justin Bourne revealed that Sutter will publish The Code of the West – Lessons From the Ranch and the Rink, with the book scheduled to hit shelves on Oct. 13.
Few figures in hockey have built a reputation quite like Sutter's. Whether behind the bench, working in a front office, or speaking to reporters, the Alberta native earned a reputation for being unapologetically direct and refreshingly authentic.
"[Sutter] is better known and even more loved for his reputation—as an advocate of aggressive, hard-nosed hockey, as a no-nonsense farmer who was never softened by the bright lights of fame, as one of six brothers who made it to the NHL, and as perhaps the most entertainingly blunt interviewee in the history of the game, capable of dissolving a scrum of reporters into laughter with a deadpan one-liner," reads the book's description.
"Fans, players, media, and opponents—everyone knows what they are going to get with Darryl Sutter. No bull. Just the stuff that means something."
The book is currently available for pre-order through Indigo, where the hardcover edition is listed at $26.60. An ebook version will also be available for $16.99.
A Career Built On Championships, Candor, And Hockey Tradition
While many younger fans know Sutter for his coaching career, his hockey résumé stretches back decades. He appeared in 406 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, recording 161 goals and 279 points while sharing the ice with stars such as Denis Savard and Tony Esposito.
His impact behind the bench was even greater.
Sutter guided the Los Angeles Kings to Stanley Cup championships in both 2012 and 2014, cementing his legacy as one of the most successful coaches of his era. Along the way, he coached some of the game's biggest names, including Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, Bernie Nichols, Jarome Iginla, Anze Kopitar, and Drew Doughty.
His connection to Calgary remains especially significant. Sutter served as both head coach and general manager during a pivotal period in franchise history before returning for a second coaching stint in 2021. That return culminated in a Jack Adams Award-winning season in 2021-22, though his tenure came to an end following the 2022-23 campaign.
Since then, Sutter has largely stayed out of the public eye, making this book one of the first major opportunities for fans to hear directly from him again.
Given his decades in the game, championship pedigree, and reputation for telling it exactly how he sees it, there should be no shortage of stories waiting between the covers.
They blew a 2-0 lead, fell behind 3-2 and twice tied the score before falling on Tomas Hertl's winning goal with 3:24 left in the third period.
The Hurricanes, whose forechecking frustrates opponents, found the same difficulties getting out of the zone because of the Golden Knights' forecheck.
"We didn't handle the pressure particularly well.," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said.
Here are the winners and losers of the Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, a turnover-filled game that both coaches will have to address:
WINNERS
Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl
He went through a 29-game goal drought that carried from the regular season into the playoffs. But his winning goal was his fourth goal in the last eight games as he worked a give-and-go with Colton Sissons.
"We gave him some time," Tortorella said. "It took a little time, but the time was getting short. ... Once he scored, his game kind of changed. He's come through at a very important time and has given up some consistent minutes."
Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers
The Hurricanes signed the free agent to a six-year deal averaging $8.5 million. He reinforced why in Game 1 with his speed and shot. His goal 25 seconds into the game was the third fastest in the history of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. He made a nice move on a breakaway goal to make it 2-0.
Golden Knights' Brayden McNabb
He's known more for his shot blocking and physical play than his offense. But he had three assists for his first time in a playoff game to help lead the Golden Knights' offense. He was a plus-3 and blocked two shots for good measure.
LOSERS
The Hurricanes' first line
Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis continue to struggle in the playoffs. Aho put the puck over the net in a chance in close and Svechnikov fanned on a one-timer.
"They had one good shift in the third there," Brind'Amour said. "Everybody has to play well if you're going to win at this time of year. Your best guys have to get on the scoresheet."
The Hurricanes' power play
It entered the game at a paltry 12.5% and went 0-for-2 on Tuesday with not many looks.
The goaltenders
Vegas' Carter Hart and Carolina's Frederik Andersen made a few good saves but weren't their usual selves. Hart had an .852 save percent age and Andersen was at .783. Coming into the games, they were at .924 and .932, respectively.
During the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins largely featured a new-look blueline beyond the likes of longtime NHL veterans Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang.
The one remaining slot on the right side was a carousel, beginning with rookie Harrison Brunicke and ending in a rotation between Connor Clifton, Jack St. Ivany, and Ilya Solovyov. The left side - other than Ryan Shea, who was given an opportunity to play a bigger role and broke out in a big way - had entirely new faces for most of the season in Parker Wotherspoon, Caleb Jones, and Matt Dumba, then, eventually, Brett Kulak and Sam Girard.
Even though the Penguins were better on the blue line last season, it's still an area of weakness that needs addressing, which is something that Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas mentioned in his end-of-season press conference in May.
And there is one blueliner who might just make sense for where the Penguins are at right now.
26-year-old Buffalo Sabres' defenseman Michael Kesselring was acquired from Utah - along with forward Josh Doan - last summer as part of the trade that sent JJ Peterka to the Mammoth. The hope for the Sabres was that Kesselring would tandem with Owen Power in top-four and be a staple for them, mostly on the left side despite being a right-shot blueliner.
Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistencies derailed the 6-foot-5, 215-pound defenseman's first season with the Sabres. He played in only 34 regular season games and one playoff game, registering just two points and coming in even in the plus-minus department. The acquisition of Logan Stanley from the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline limited his playing time and his growth into a larger role post-injury, and now, the Sabres have some decisions to make on the blue line.
Stanley is a pending unrestricted free agent, as is veteran Luke Schenn (likely a true rental) and forward Alex Tuch. They are due to give Zach Benson - a pending restricted free agent - a relatively handsome pay raise after a solid campaign. Peyton Krebs is also a free agent, as are two other forwards, and left blueliner Bowen Byram has only one year left on his current deal at $6.25 million.
And, given all that, they have only $11.9 million in cap space to work with. Sure, that's enough to fill out the roster, but to keep everyone plus improve? Probably not.
Kesselring - also a pending-RFA - only made $1.4 million last season. He's also coming off of a letdown campaign. So, it could be the perfect time for Dubas to buy low - like he did with Egor Chinakhov - on a player with some nice upside as a top-four staple, whether that's through the RFA sign-then-trade market or through offer sheet.
The Penguins could, reasonably, offer sheet Kesselring in a range that the Sabres wouldn't want to pay given their cap situation, but they might also be able to acquire him for less in the trade market. Either way, it's a risk probably worth taking for Pittsburgh.
His large frame and the strong two-way play he showcased with Utah over parts of three seasons - recording 12 goals and 50 points in 156 games - is likely closer to the version of Kesselring that the Sabres thought they were getting, and he's just the type of player that Dubas likes to target.
Although Karlsson found a fair amount of chemistry with Wotherspoon on Pittsburgh's top pairing last season, Letang had a rotating carousel of partners, and he could probably benefit from an extended look alongside a young blueliner who is capable of shouldering a heavier load than some of his partners from last season.
And, simply put, it just gives the Penguins more options on their left side, especially if Shea leaves in free agency. They have Wotherspoon under contract for one more year - same with Girard - and Caleb Jones and Owen Pickering figure to be battling for a spot, too. However, even Wotherspoon - despite the breakout season he had - is 28 with no guarantee that he'll replicate his success from 2025-26. The Penguins could use a higher-upside option on their left side, and because Kesselring had a disappointing season, they should have to pay an arm and a leg for him.
Combine all of the upside and what is likely to be a relatively low cost, Kesselring is well-worth the gamble by Dubas and the Penguins, especially if they are looking to take a big step next season. He may not be the biggest deal of the summer, but a trade for him should help the Penguins in the short-term and, hopefully, the long-term, too.
For a second straight year, Norris Trophy voters backed up Jake Sanderson's status as a top 10 NHL defenseman. The voting results were unveiled on Tuesday, and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski was named the winner.
For Sens fans, if finishing in 10th place again sounds disappointing, it says more about the large number of great NHL defensemen than it does about Sanderson's game.
We could dig into the analytics to assess things, but let's be honest. The voters want goals, assists, and points, and Sanderson had a healthy improvement in that area.
Last year, Sanderson recorded 57 points in 80 games. This season, he put up 54 points in just 67 games. So his points-per-game rate jumped from 0.71 to 0.81. Projecting over a full 82-game season, Sanderson would have finished with roughly 66 points.
But voters took his 15 games missed (most of them due to a shoulder injury) fully into account. Even at 66 points over 82 games, there still would have been eight defensemen who produced more.
It's a reflection of just how loaded the position has become.
Look at this year's voting results (in order) Zach Werenski (winner), Cale Makar, Rasmus Dahlin, Evan Bouchard, Moritz Seider, Lane Hutson, Quinn Hughes and Miro Heiskanen all finished ahead of Sanderson. Erik Karlsson, who won two of his three Norris Trophies with Ottawa, finished tied with Sanderson for 10th.
Like most of the men on the above list, Sanderson's value extends well beyond the scoresheet.
There's an old hockey cliché about players being able to stickhandle in a phone booth. If there is one player on the Senators who perfectly fits that description, it's Sanderson.
Whether he's trying to find an outlet pass on a breakout with an aggressive forechecker draped all over him, or attempting to hold the offensive blue line with no space to work with, Sanderson somehow finds a way.
And his skating. My God, the skating.
When you have Tim Stutzle, one of the fastest guys in the league, fanboying about your skating, you know you're at a special level.
Sanderson's quickness allows him to escape pressure that would overwhelm most players. His ability to maintain possession in tight spaces turns broken plays into scoring chances and keeps offensive-zone possessions alive. Ottawa fans see it every night, even if it doesn't always translate into league-wide headlines.
If Senators fans needed another reminder of Sanderson's value (spoiler: they don't) they got one during the first round of the playoffs.
Ottawa entered Game 3 against Carolina, facing a 2-0 series deficit after a heartbreaking overtime loss in Game 2. Back on home ice for the next two games, the Senators were still very much alive in the series and looking to seize some momentum.
But with Carolina leading Game 3, 1-0, disaster struck.
Taylor Hall, who has played a noticeably greasier style in these playoffs, clipped Sanderson in the side of the head with his shoulder. Sanderson tried to stay in the game, but it quickly became clear that something wasn't right, and the timing couldn't have been worse.
The Senators had a lengthy 5-on-3 power play opportunity, and Sanderson, Ottawa's power-play quarterback, was forced to leave the game. For Hall, who was at best reckless on the play, getting a minor penalty with no ensuing suspension for eliminating the opponent's top player was a fabulous trade-off.
The Sens, who were already without Artem Zub, lost that game 2-1 to fall behind 3-0 in the series, which was all but done at that point.
Sanderson's absence served as a reminder of just how valuable he has become. And at some stage, when voting on the best defenseman award, the league needs to introduce a best defensive defenseman award, because Sanderson would be in the mix for that one, too.
As a sidebar, they could call it the Tim Horton Trophy. As my Leafs-loving grandfather would tell me, Horton was one of the greatest shutdown defencemen in NHL history. Meanwhile, the league could probably work out a pretty lucrative sponsorship deal with a certain coffee company while they're at it.
Or just stick with the Norris.
Then create the Bobby OrrTrophy for the league's best offensive defenceman. Orr won 8 Norris Trophies and was the first skater in history to have 100 assists in an NHL season.
For now, though, offensive production remains king, and Sanderson is still climbing the Norris ladder. The encouraging news for Ottawa is that he's climbing it quickly, and he's going to be here for a long time.
Sanderson is signed through the summer of 2032 with a cap hit of $8.05 million per season. When the contract was signed, it looked like a strong deal. Today, it looks like a bargain. In another two or three years, it will be highway robbery.
The scary part for the rest of the league is that, at 23, it's unlikely that Sanderson reached his ceiling. If he stays healthy, continues producing at his current pace and helps lead the Senators on a deeper playoff run, the bigger recognition will come.
A second consecutive top-10 Norris finish may not generate many headlines, but in a league overflowing with elite defencemen, it's another reminder that Sanderson already belongs among the NHL's best.
It isn't unfamiliar territory for the Carolina Hurricanes, who now find themselves in a 1-0 hole for the second straight series, but this time, there's not a convenient excuse to fall back on.
Against the Montreal Canadiens, the Hurricanes could say they were just mentally not ready for the pace of play following an unprecedented 11-day break, but that isn't so much the case now.
The Hurricanes dropped Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final 5-4 to the Vegas Golden Knights in a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair.
After a great opening period, the Canes were outplayed for the final 40 minutes, losing puck battles, blowing assignments and ultimately just making too many mistakes at crucial moments.
"We didn’t handle the pressure particularly well," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour. "And sometimes there wasn't pressure and we kind of made a few poor decisions with the puck and they capitalized.
The Hurricanes had an electric start, jumping out to a 2-0 lead early on.
Nikolaj Ehlers blew the roof off of the arena just 25 seconds into the game, stripping Shea Theodore of the puck at the defensive blueline and taking it all the way up ice before rifling it between the glove and blocker of Vegas netminder Carter Hart.
Ehlers would strike again a bit later as Jalen Chatfield sent him off on a breakaway, which the Dane finished off on the backhand and through the five-hole.
"There were some good things we did, and the game was there," said Jordan Staal.
Vegas would answer back though as a Theodore shot from the point ricocheted off of Eric Robinson's knee and in past Frederik Andersen and then to start the second period, it was all Golden Knights.
Vegas found the equalizer less than 30 seconds in with Ivan Barbashev finding open space in the slot and then less than five minutes after that, William Karlsson would give Vegas the lead unmarked in front of the Canes' net.
"That's a good team," Staal said. "I thought they just played a little bit better than us. They executed their game plan and were aggressive on their forecheck and played in our end and they buried their chances when they had them
Carolina would tie it back up late in the second as K'Andre Miller caught a clearing attempt at the blueline and then fed Jordan Staal for the tying goal.
But again, the Golden Knights had an answer.
After killing off a penalty to start the third period, Chatfield lost the race with Brett Howden to the backdoor and once again, the Canes were trailing.
The Canes were in a rut, and things looked grim after yet another squandered power play, but Shayne Gostisbehere came through with the equalizer late into the third.
But as quickly as he gave Carolina life, he was the one who ended it, losing Tomas Hertl off of the wall for the eventual game winner.
"I took a breather for a second and it went right to their guy,' Gostisbehere said. "That's how quick it can happen. It was definitely on me. Just took a breather for a second."
Carolina will have to regroup and clean up the defense if they want to get back into this series with Game 2 puck drop scheduled for Thursday.
"It's one game," said Nikolaj Ehlers. "Obviously we'd rather be up 1-0, but there's six games to go. We're fine with taking this to seven if we need to."
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Tomas Hertl #48 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates after scoring a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period in Game One of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 02, 2026.
RALEIGH, N.C. — It took just one shot and 25 seconds worth of game action for the Vegas Golden Knights to find themselves in hole in the Stanley Cup Final.
And by midway through the opening period, they were down two goals against a fast-skating Carolina Hurricanes team teeming with energy from a buzzing home crowd.
No matter. And no panic. Not with these tested Golden Knights.
Tomas Hertl took a backhand pass from Colton Sissons and beat Frederik Andersen from the slot with 3:24 left in the third period, lifting the Golden Knights past the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in Tuesday night’s opener of the Stanley Cup Final.
Vegas’ Tomas Hertl celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of the Golden Knights’ 5-4 win over the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 2, 2026. Getty Images
“I’ve said it all through the playoffs: it’s a find-a-way league,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “We found a way tonight.”
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday in Raleigh, with Vegas already having taken home-ice away from the Hurricanes as it chases a second Cup title in four seasons.
“Momentum swings happen quickly,” Tortorella said. “We want to keep the momentum on our side, so there’s no question we’re looking to get two.”
Hertl’s finish off Sissons’ feed from the right faceoff circle broke a 4-4 tie and pushed the Golden Knights ahead in an entertaining back-and-forth start on the sport’s biggest stage. It marked Vegas’ seventh straight win of the playoffs, starting with the last two games of the six-game second-round series against Anaheim and then the shocking four-game sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
That series included Vegas erasing a 3-0 deficit to take Game 3, and now the Golden Knights have followed by rallying from another multigoal deficit — this time 2-0 in the opening period — against the team that finished second only to the Avs in the regular season.
“It was a terrible start,” said center William Karlsson, who capped a run of three straight goals that pushed Vegas to a 3-2 second-period lead. “Just like it was against Colorado, a lot of time left. We always believe.”
Things changed after Tortorella gathered his team around the bench during a TV timeout after the Hurricanes had sprinted out to their lead, coming as Vegas had a slow start out of its six-day break while waiting for Carolina to close out Montreal in a five-game Eastern Conference Final.
“Just stick with the program, on our gameplan, and not get impatient,” said defenseman Brayden McNabb, who had three assists. “They pressure a lot and we want to keep the puck going north, and limit east-west plays.”
Shea Theodore, Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden also scored for Vegas, with Howden’s postseason-leading 11th score giving the Golden Knights a 4-3 lead just 1:21 into the third period. Carter Hart finished with 23 saves, including a key stop on Seth Jarvis only seconds before Hertl’s winner.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice for the Hurricanes, the first coming 25 seconds into the game when he got loose on a rush and blasted one past Hart from the left side on the game’s first shot. He followed with a breakaway that gave Carolina a 2-0 lead and sent a charged home crowd into an eruption in the team’s first Stanley Cup Final game in two decades.
Jordan Staal and Shayne Gostisbehere each scored tying goals after Vegas had pushed to a lead, with Gostisbehere skating in clean on the left side to blast one past Hart at 11:19 of the third period and tie it once more at 4. Andersen finished with 18 saves.
“I thought they played just a little bit better than us,” Staal said. “They executed their game plan and aggressive on their forecheck and played in our end, and they buried their chances when they had them.”
Vegas center Tomas Hertl celebrates after scoring a third-period goal during the Golden Knights’ Game 1 win. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Hurricanes went 12-1 through three rounds to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since coach Rod Brind’Amour captained them to the title in 2006. It also comes amid an eight-year playoff streak that has included at least one series win every time as a regular postseason contender.
Carolina swept through Ottawa and Philadelphia before taking the last four games of a five-game win against Montreal to punch through an Eastern Conference Final roadblock. That made the Hurricanes the first team since 1983 to reach the Stanley Cup Final with one loss, and the first since the NHL went to best-of-seven series in all four rounds in 1987.
Meanwhile, Vegas had been getting stronger with every playoff round, winning for 19 of 24 games going back to the unexpected late-season firing of Bruce Cassidy to hire Tortorella as coach. That included the shocking result against the Avalanche, who managed just seven goals in four games.
Defense had been the standout feature for both teams, in fact, with Carolina having allowed two or fewer goals in 12 of 13 playoff games. But that wasn’t the case in Tuesday’s fast-paced series opener, with both teams capitalizing on their chances in an entertaining back-and-forth game before Hertl got Vegas the lead for good.
“This is a totally different team, and that may be part of it too,” Brind’Amour said when asked about comparisons to the 6-2 loss to the Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. “We’ve got to get up to speed on how this game and this series is going to go. I think we certainly got a taste of that now.”
Jun 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) celebrates scoring during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game one of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tomas Hertl took a backhand pass from Colton Sisson and beat Frederik Anderson from the slot with 3:24 left in the third period, lifting the Vegas Golden Knights past the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in Tuesday night’s opener of the Stanley Cup Final.
Hertl’s finish off Sisson’s feed from the right faceoff circle broke a 4-4 tie and pushed the Golden Knights ahead in an entertaining back-and-forth start on the sport’s biggest stage. It marked Vegas’ seventh straight win of the playoffs, starting with the last two games of the six-game second-round series against Anaheim and then the shocking four-game sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
That series included Vegas erasing a 3-0 deficit to take Game 3, and now the Golden Knights have followed by rallying from another multigoal deficit -- this time 2-0 in the opening period -- against the team that finished second only to the Avs in the regular season.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday in Raleigh, with Vegas already having taken home-ice away from the Hurricanes as it chases a second Cup title in four seasons.
Shea Theodore, Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson and Brett Howden also scored for Vegas, with Howden’s postseason-leading 11th score giving the Golden Knights a 4-3 lead just 1:21 into the third period. Carter Hart finished with 23 saves.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice for the Hurricanes, the first coming 25 seconds into the game when he got loose and a rush and blasted one past Hart from the left side on the game’s first shot. He followed with a breakaway that gave Carolina a 2-0 lead and sent a charged home crowd into an eruption in the team’s first Stanley Cup Final game in two decades.
Jordan Staal and Shayne Gostisbehere each scored tying goals after Vegas had pushed to a lead, with Gostisbehere skating in clean on the left side to blast one past Hart at 11:19 of the third period and tie it once more at 4.
The Vegas Golden Knights are the shining stars of the entertainment capital of the world, and they’ve been the talk of the town for the last two months. Of course, most of the headlines pertain to their postseason success— after largely failing to live up to their potential during the regular season, the Golden Knights caught fire at the right time and advanced to their third Stanley Cup Final in their nine-year existence.
However, the Golden Knights have also made some noise because of the way they’ve handled Bruce Cassidy after their late-season coaching change.
Despite relieving Cassidy of his duties as head coach, the Golden Knights are still on the hook to pay him nearly $5 million. Cassidy signed a five-year contract in 2022 that won’t expire until after the 2026-27 season.
Because Vegas is paying Cassidy his full salary, they have complete control over his employment status for the next year. Cassidy has garnered interest around the league— namely from two division rivals, the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings— but Vegas has not granted teams permission to speak with him.
During a media availability prior to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, the NHL passed its ruling in the case of Cassidy v. Vegas Golden Knights.
“Obviously, we don’t find it unreasonable, because we’re allowing it to happen,” said deputy commissioner Bill Daly. “I do think Vegas is clearly within their contractual rights to do what they’re doing. We understand and appreciate that they’re on a Stanley Cup run right now, and they don’t need the distraction necessarily… We’ll get to the end of the season, and we’ll see where we go from there.
“We’ve talked to all the parties involved in this, including Bruce. So he knows what our position on the subject is, and he might not be happy about it, but he was accepting of it.”
“When you sign and insist upon a long-term contract, there are certainly, under league policies, consequences of that,” agreed NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. “And so, where we find ourselves is completely reasonable.”
“There are contracts that exist in the league that would not allow for this to happen,” added Daly. “His was not one of them.”
The Stanley Cup Final is underway and if it's like last year, there will be some overtimes.
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers went to overtime three times in the first four games. The Oilers won Games 1 and 4 while the Panthers won Game 2 in double overtime. Games 5 and 6 were settled in regulation as the Panthers beat the Oilers for the second year in a row.
There won't be any more 3-on-3 play. It is 5-on-5 instead, just like in regulation play. There won't be any more shootouts. There is sudden death, and it could last a very long time.
Here's what to know about playoff hockey overtime, including the format, longest games and 2026 results.
How does OT work in NHL playoffs?
If the score is tied after three periods, the teams go to the dressing rooms for 15 minutes while the ice is resurfaced. Overtime periods last 20 minutes or until someone scores. It's 5-on-5 play (barring penalties). If no one scores in the first overtime, the process repeats and continues until someone scores. The teams change sides for each overtime period. The first overtime is the long change to get back to the bench.
The NHL Situation Room reviews all goals to make sure they are legally scored, such as the goal that ended Game 4 of the Anaheim-Edmonton series or the overturned goal in Game 4 of the Vegas-Utah series.
May 12:Golden Knights 3, Ducks 2. Pavel Dorofeyev scored the winning goal just over four minutes into the first overtime period to give Vegas a 3-2 series lead over Anaheim.
April 28:Bruins 2, Sabres 1. David Pastrnak scored at 9:14 of the first overtime to cut the Bruins' series deficit to 3-2.
April 27:Golden Knights 5, Mammoth 4. Shea Theodore scored at 19:08 of the first overtime to tie the series at two games apiece.
April 26:Ducks 4, Oilers 3. Ryan Poehling scored 2:29 into the first overtime to give Anaheim a 3-1 series lead.
April 25:Wild 3, Stars 2. Matt Boldy scored at 19:31 of the first overtime as the Wild tied the series 2-2.
April 24:Canadiens 3, Lightning 2. Lane Hutson scored at 2:09 of the first overtime, giving Montreal a 2-1 series lead.
April 22:Stars 4, Wild 3. Wyatt Johnston scored at 12:10 of the second overtime, giving Dallas a 2-1 series lead.
April 21:Avalanche 2, Kings 1. Nicolas Roy scored the winning goal at the 12:16 mark of the first overtime, giving Colorado a 2-0 series lead.
April 21:Lightning 3, Canadiens 2. J.J. Moser scored at 7:12 in the first overtime to tie up the series at a game apiece. It was Moser's first career NHL playoff goal.
April 20:Hurricanes 3, Senators 2. Jordan Martinook scored at 13:53 of the second overtime. He was stopped on a penalty shot in the first overtime.
April 19:Canadiens 4, Lightning 3. Juraj Slafkovsky scored at 1:22 of the first overtime, completing a hat trick.
Longest Stanley Cup Final games
Eight Stanley Cup Final games have gone to the third overtime. The Edmonton Oilers were part of the longest game when Petr Klima scored at 15:13 of the third overtime for a 3-2 win against the Boston Bruins in the 1990 Final.
What are the longest NHL playoff overtime games?
1 - Six overtimes (116 minutes, 30 seconds of overtime) in the 1936 semifinals. March 24, 1935. Detroit 1, Montreal Maroons 0. Mud Bruneteau scored the winner.
2 - Six overtimes (104 minutes, 46 seconds of overtime) in the 1933 semifinals. April 3, 1933. Toronto 1, Boston 0. Ken Doraty scored the winner.
3 - Five overtimes (92 minutes, 1 second of overtime) in the 2000 conference semifinals. May 4, 2000. Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1. Keith Primeau scored the winner.
4 - Five overtimes (90 minutes, 27 seconds of overtime) in the 2020 first round. Aug. 11, 2020. Tampa Bay 3, Columbus 2. Brayden Point scored the winner.
5 - Five overtimes (80 minutes, 48 seconds of overtime) in the 2003 conference semifinals. April 24, 2003. Anaheim 4, Dallas 3. Petr Sykora scored the winner.
6 - Four overtimes (79 minutes, 47 seconds of overtime) in the 2023 conference finals. May 18, 2023. Florida 3, Carolina 2. Matthew Tkachuk scored the winner.
The Golden Knights overcame a first-period 2-0 deficit, including a goal 25 seconds in, and stole the home-ice advantage by winning Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday, 5-4, over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Tomas Hertl scored his fourth goal of the postseason with 3:24 left in the game to break a 4-4 tie and move the Knights closer to their second Stanley Cup title since 2023.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 3, 2026
"We didn't have our greatest start, but it's kind of our story all season," Hertl said during the postseason television broadcast. "But we never give up, you know. We just a team. It doesn't matter if we up or down, we just keep playing."
Hertl took Colton Sissons' backhanded pass to the slot and sniped Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen to put Vegas ahead.
It marked just the second time Andersen allowed more than two goals in game, as he allowed five to Montreal in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. The 6-2 setback was the Hurricanes' only postseason loss before Tuesday night.
Shea Theodore, Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson and Brett Howden also scored for Vegas, while netminder Carter Hart stopped 23 shots.
Nikolaj Ehlers gave the Hurricanes an early 2-0 lead before Theodore fanned Carolina's flames, cutting the lead in half to 2-1, where the score stood as the teams went into the locker room after the first period.
Just after the opening puck drop, Ehlers poked the puck off the boards in the defensive zone, gathered it and raced down the left side past Theodore.
Ehlers, who came into the Cup final with a team fourth highest nine points in the postseason, fired far side past Vegas goalie Carter Hart to give Carolina a 1-0 lead just 25 seconds in.
"Yeah, I mean, you don't know exactly what to expect, it's the first game, the building was already buzzing," Ehlers said in between periods on the television broadcast. "But that for sure, that was pretty cool. That was special. That definitely gave the arena a little more juice."
Ehlers got his second goal when he grabbed a cross-ice pass from Jalen Chatfield, who intercepted Jack Eichel's pass, raced in untouched and once again beat Hart.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 3, 2026
"They are a really good team," Ehlers added. "They play hard, they play fast, they got a lot of skill players."
Ehlers' words rang true in the second period, as the Golden Knights scored 30 seconds in when Barbashev took a pass from Eichel and beat Andersen from a soft spot in the top of the left circle.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 3, 2026
The stunned crowd came back to life when Carolina's Jordan Staal when the Knights failed to clear the zone and took advantage of a giveaway by Noah Hanifin. Staal's shot went high over Hart's blocker to tie the game at 3-all.
"For us, it's pretty simple, we got to get punch deep and play in their zone and create stuff from there that kills their offense," Ehlers said.
Howden scored his 11th goal of the postseason - his eighth on the road - just 1:21 into the third period, but the Hurricanes would tie game midway through the stanza when Shayne Gostisbehere sniped Hart from the left circle.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 3, 2026
Both teams were unsuccessful with their power plays, with Carolina finishing 0 for 2 and Vegas missing three times.
PHOTO CAPTION
Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) celebrates scoring during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game one of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center.
