RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jack Eichel scored twice in the final 4:59 to help the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 on Tuesday night.
First Eichel forced a turnover on Taylor Hall's pass near the blue line, then took Ivan Barbashev's pass and went the other way to beat Frederik Andersen for a 4-3 lead.
Minutes later, Eichel — celebrating his 29th birthday — finished another feed from Barbashev to make it 5-3 with roughly 2 1/2 minutes left.
Tomas Hertl added an empty-net clincher as Vegas closed out a second win against Carolina in nine days.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice in the first period for Vegas, the second coming on the power play, and Brett Howden had a backhand-forehand finish on Andersen to tie it at 3 early in the third.
Akira Schmid had 21 saves for Vegas.
Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov broke through in the opening minutes with a one-timer off a power-play faceoff win for his first goal of the season, which also marked Carolina's third goal with the man advantage after a rough start to the season.
Jordan Martinook and Logan Stankoven also scored for the Hurricanes, while Andersen finished with 29 saves.
The Hurricanes were the NHL's last unbeaten team after starting 5-0 by winning the first three games of their first trip, but the Golden Knights took a 4-1 win in last week's first meeting. That was part of a 4-2-0 swing on the road, though the Hurricanes were hit by a series of injuries that pressed younger or unproven talent into the lineup.
That included defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere missing the past three games with a lower-body injury before returning for this one, only to exit after the first period with what coach Rod Brind'Amour described as a midsection issue. And when Joel Nystrom took a puck to the mouth in the second period, Carolina was down to four defensemen until well into the third period.
Up next
Golden Knights: Host Colorado on Friday.
Hurricanes: Host the New York Islanders on Thursday.
-
Jack Eichowl representing Vegas Golden Knights in this year's Stanley Pup game
As if Las Vegas doesn't have enough hockey fever as the Vegas Golden Knights fight for the Stanley Cup, now sports fans will have another game to look forward to, with arguably even cuter players.
Hertl's goal lifts Golden Knights past Hurricanes 5-4 to open Stanley Cup Final
Tomas Hertl took a backhand pass from Colton Sisson with 3:24 left in the third period, lifting the Golden Knights past the Hurricanes 5-4 in Tuesday night's opener of the Stanley Cup Final.
Leaders from Las Vegas, Raleigh make friendly wagers ahead of Stanley Cup Finals
In Las Vegas, it's no secret that the house always wins, but that isn't stopping some friendly wagers from popping up ahead of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Mayors from Las Vegas, Raleigh make friendly wager ahead of Stanley Cup Finals
Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley and Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell have made a friendly wager as the Vegas Golden Knights prepare to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Finals.