Golden Knights Steal Game 1 in Carolina and Seize Early Control of Stanley Cup Final

In a Game 1 thriller, the Vegas Golden Knights stole one on the road with a 5-4 win to take a 1-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final over the Carolina Hurricanes.

And for a series that was expected to be extremely close and one that could very easily go seven games, this contest absolutely lived up to that expectation. It was a 4-4 game in the final minute before the Golden Knights delivered the dagger and left the home crowd stunned.

So at this point, home-ice advantage is gone for Carolina.

Not only are the Hurricanes down in the series, but now three of the next six games, if necessary, will be in Vegas. That includes three of the next five. So this is a huge early advantage for the Golden Knights, especially in a matchup that already felt razor thin coming in.

Now the pressure shifts directly to Carolina heading into Game 2. In some ways, that can help a team because there is no longer any room for error and the mindset becomes simple. But there is no question the Hurricanes now have their backs against the wall much earlier than they would have wanted.

Meanwhile, Vegas is in a great spot. The Golden Knights already came into this series looking like the hottest team in hockey after sweeping the Colorado Avalanche, and now they have backed that up by taking Game 1 on the road in the Stanley Cup Final.

At this point, it is up to Carolina to keep this a real series. Because if Vegas finds a way to grab Game 2 as well, this thing could start tilting hard in the Golden Knights’ favor.

Game 2 is set to take place on Thursday night.