Hurricanes One Win Away After Game 5 Domination

Hurricanes One Win Away From Stanley Cup After Game 5 Thriller The Carolina Hurricanes are on the brink of hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time in 20 years. In a pivotal Game 5 at Lenovo Center, the Hurricanes stormed past the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2, taking a 3-2 series lead. Staal Makes History, Svechnikov Shines The big boys showed up for Carolina. Captain Jordan Staal scored for the fifth consecutive game, joining an elite group of NHL legends — Yvan Cournoyer (1973), Jean Beliveau (1956), Maurice Richard (1951), and Cyclone Taylor (1918) — as the only players to score in five consecutive Stanley Cup Final games. No one has ever scored in six straight. "Good company," Staal said, "but I'm looking for wins." But the real difference-maker was Andrei Svechnikov, who netted two crucial power-play goals. Sebastian Aho also broke out of a scoring slump with his first goal of the series, while Nikolaj Ehlers racked up three assists for his second straight three-point game. Rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi continued his magical run with 23 saves, becoming the first goalie in NHL history to make his first two career playoff starts in the Stanley Cup Final and win both. Vegas Facing Elimination — and Injuries Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice for the Golden Knights, but it wasn't enough. Making matters worse, key center William Karlsson left Game 5 with an arm injury and is unlikely to play in Game 6. Coach John Tortorella was blunt: "He's not going to be with us, probably." The Golden Knights have now lost back-to-back games for the first time since the opening round, and their penalty trouble (four power-play goals allowed in Games 4-5 combined) is killing them. Game 6 Betting Preview Game 6 heads to T-Mobile Arena in Vegas on Sunday (8 PM ET, ABC). Expect the Golden Knights to be slight home favorites out of desperation, but Carolina's power play is rolling and their momentum is undeniable. The Hurricanes are the second team in Stanley Cup Final history to score at least four goals in each of the first five games, joining the 1973 Canadiens. If you're looking at the puck line, Carolina +1.5 as a road underdog with a chance to clinch offers serious value. --- Related reading: - Canes Game 5 Price Puts Vegas Under Pressure - Hurricanes Turn Game 4 Chaos Into a Cup Reset - Canes Game 4 Goalie Call Shapes Cup Board