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As we head back to Carolina for Game 5, the Stanley Cup Final is all tied up, with the Hurricanes and Golden Knights trading wins through the first four games of the series. Now it becomes a best of three, the next team to win two games will be crowned champions of the NHL.

It has been an incredible Final thus far, with each game delivering exciting back and forth hockey. It is truly a shame that we will only get three more games (at most) until next season. But the offseason has not begun just yet, so let’s enjoy hockey while we can, and take a look at what has transpired in this series.

Vegas Steals Game 1

In the first Stanley Cup Final game in Carolina in 20 years, the series started off with a bang. In fact it did not take long for the first goal of the series to be scored as Nikolaj Ehlers fired one past Carter Hart 25 seconds into the game, nearly blowing the roof off of Lenovo Center. Ehlers would score again later in the first period but Vegas quickly responded to cut the lead in half.

The second period was nearly identical, but flipped. The Golden Knights would score two goals to begin the frame before the Canes got back on the board to knot the game up at three heading into the deciding third period.

Brett Howden scored the go-ahead goal, and his 11th goal of the playoffs, less than 90 seconds into the period. Vegas was not letting much through, holding on tight to their one goal lead, until Shayne Gostisbehere snapped one home. Ghost has been a great offensive defenceman throughout his career, but less strong in his own end. Late in the third he was shadowing Tomas Hertl but took half a second off his assignment and Colton Sissons made a nice pass to set up the open Hertl, who fired home the 5-4 goal, and eventual game winner.

Vegas extended their winning streak to seven games and made a statement on the road in Game 1, taking control of the series, three wins away from another Cup.

Canes Climb Back in Game 2

While there was some nervous energy in the building heading into Game 2, fans recognized this was a long series. It helps that they dropped Game 1 in the Eastern Final to Montreal and responded with four straight wins, but Vegas is a different beast and they could not afford to go down 2-0.

But they did. At least in the game, as the Golden Knights jumped out to a 2-0 lead, both goals scored by Brett Howden, quickly becoming a sneaky Conn Smythe contender. That nervous energy was cranked up, and it felt like Vegas was about to once again take both games on the road as they did against Colorado the previous round.

Carolina was going to need a huge third period down two goals. Halfway through they had yet to get on the board, but to combat Howden, was their leading goal scorer Logan Stankoven who squeaked one in to give the Canes some life. Shortly after, the fourth line combined for a goal to tie things up, with Mark Jankowski finishing it off. Brand new game.

On a Hurricanes powerplay, captain Jordan Staal scored to give the Hurricanes their first lead of the game. All three of Carolina’s third period goals came in a five minute stretch and the energy did a 180^o, with the home team now ahead. Unfortunately for them, the other team’s captain, Mark Stone, was not letting this game be decided in regulation, and tied the game once again with just over a minute remaining in the third.

The next goal was going to define the series, as the difference between 2-0 and 1-1 is massive, especially going back to Vegas. But all the nervous energy would turn into elation as the Hurricanes made no mistake of a powerplay opportunity in overtime. Tomas Hertl, who scored the winner in Game 1, was guilty of a trip, and Seth Jarvis got everything on a one time shot, beating Hart, and tying the series.

The Insane Comeback That Wasn’t

Game 3 was all Vegas for the majority of the game. First, they scored two goals that were both disallowed, but kept battling back after seeing their goals wiped off the board. They completely blew things open in the second period scoring four goals, including a natural hattrick from Mitch Marner.

The Hurricanes were dead in the water, and most fans were chalking this one up as a Vegas win. After the fourth goal, Frederik Andersen was pulled, and Brandon Bussi came in relief. Freddy had historic numbers through the first two rounds these playoffs, but his play had been a little more shaky since.

Bussi would take advantage of the opportunity and stand on his head to make sure the 4-0 Vegas lead didn’t get any larger. It took Carolina until 13 minutes remaining in the third to finally get on the board, but they still had a huge hole to climb out of. However, 4-0 was cut to 4-3 in 39 seconds of game time, and what was once a blowout, was a one goal game with lots of time left.

Andrei Svechnikov, who has been underwhelming in these playoffs, delivered in a huge way, tying the game up at four, and somehow, these two teams once again were headed to overtime.

With eight goals over the final two periods of the game, it felt like the overtime winner might come quickly. That was not the case, as neither team was able to score in the first overtime. To the second overtime we go! Sadly, an incredible game was won off a weird bounce, as Shea Theodore’s shot from the point missed wide but went off the back boards, off Bussi’s pad, and in.

For all my basketball fans out there, this comeback would have been on par with the Knicks historic comeback we saw last night. But it was as if the Spurs still held on to win the game, and the OG Anunoby putback never happened. A 4-0 comeback would have been insanity, but Vegas got the win, and restored their series lead.

The Jordan Staal Game

With their backs against the wall down 2-1, on the road, the Hurricanes needed to win Game 4. Otherwise they were going to have to do what only one team in league history has ever done before, come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the Final to win the Stanley Cup.

After a strong performance in relief, Bussi would get the start in Game 4. The game started just about as well as the Canes could have asked, as Logan Stankoven scored just over a minute in, and Jackson Blake would then extend the lead less than three minutes later.

Carolina was looking how they did against Montreal in games 2-5 in the East Final, dialled and determined. But Vegas would respond, with Mark Stone beating Bussi on a breakaway. Somehow one of the slower star players in the league always seems to sneak through and get chances in all alone.

Jordan Staal would get the Canes their two goal lead back, scoring his fourth goal of the series, having at least one goal in every single game in the Final.

They call a two goal lead the worst in hockey, and this series that is especially true. William Karlsson clapped home a nice feed from Rasmus Andersson, and then Brett Howden tied the game at three. Every game this series has seen at least a two goal lead erased.

As for Howden, his incredible run continues. His 14th of the postseason is only one goal shy of Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett’s 15 last year. 

But this game was not the Brett Howden Game, it was the Jordan Staal Game. Having already scored in the game, the Canes captain turned into Captain Clutch. Falling down, he managed to still put one on net, and sometimes it can be as simple as that. A weird shot wobbled through the air and found its way to the back of the net, 4-3 Carolina.

There were no more comebacks in this one, despite a strong push from the Golden Knights. Ehlers got a lucky bounce off the boards, trying to just clear the zone from behind his own net, and the puck trickled all the way into the empty cage.

Now we have a 2-2 series, and a best of three on our hands. This Stanley Cup Final has delivered every step of the way, and all we can hope is that it continues and a worthy champion is crowned when it’s all said and done. Game 5 is less than an hour away, here we go.