Hurricanes work Game 2 OT magic again, topple Vegas to square series at 1-1
Just when the Carolina Hurricanes seemed down and out, they rose.
Trailing the Vegas Golden Knights by two goals in the third period of Game 2 in the Stanley Cup Final, the Canes fought their way back to take a 4-3 overtime victory Thursday.
Seth Jarvis’ power-play goal at 3:56 of overtime gave the Canes the win, had the Lenovo Center quaking and evened the series 1-1 as it heads to Las Vegas.
The win is the fourth OT win in a Game 2 this postseason for Carolina, which previously won Game 2 in overtime against Ottawa in Round 1, Philadelphia in Round 2, and Montreal in Round 3. Each of those games finished 3-2 in favor of the Hurricanes.
“It’s huge. It’s like you get a shot of life,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of an OT win. “That’s what we definitely needed. I’m proud of the guys and happy for them, because they just kept coming.”
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The Golden Knights needed a late goal from captain Mark Stone in regulation to force overtime after the Canes scored three times to grab a 3-2 lead — Logan Stankoven, Mark Jankowski and Jordan Staal with goals as the decibel count in the arena hit an ear-splitting 115.
But the Golden Knights pulled goalie Carter Hart for a sixth attacker and Stone’s scrambling goal off a backhanded swipe with 1:21 left tied it.
Only one NHL team has won the Cup after losing the first two games of the Cup Final at home — the 1966 Montreal Canadiens. Those are the long odds the Hurricanes were facing going into overtime, but the tension level has eased after the thrilling win.
After Tomas Hertl was called for tripping Staal, the Canes set up the power play and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere found Jarvis open in the left circle for a one-timer.
Jarvis has struggled offensively throughout the playoffs. His winning shot Thursday was much like the one he had late in regulation in Game 1, one that Hart was able to glove and stop.
Not Thursday.
“It’s incredible,” Jarvis said. “I’ve imagined doing it a lot. To do it in real life is awesome.
“This is exciting. This is what playoff hockey is all about. Tight games, momentum swings and you never know what’s going to happen next.”
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Hurricanes rally big
The Golden Knights led 2-0 in the third and were seemingly in control before a hustling goal by Stankoven lit the arena.
Stankoven outbattled defenseman Rasmus Andersson for the puck behind the Vegas net and scored on a backhanded wraparound — the center’s 10th of the playoffs.
“We needed a spark and ‘Stanky’ got us going,” Staal said. “They were shelling it up and not giving us much. But everybody through the lineup was making plays.”
The Canes continued to push and tied it 2-2 on Jankowski’s goal with 7:14 left in regulation. Jankowski beat Hart with a top-shelf bullet from the slot and it was even louder in the house.
Canes goalie Frederik Andersen made a sprawling save with five minutes left in regulation, smothering the puck in the crease — a play that was reviewed after a coach’s challenge ffrom Vegas’ John Tortorella and ruled no goal, giving Carolina a power play.
When Staal scored on a tip of a Shayne Gostisbehere shot, the Canes had the lead.
Tortorella after the game did not second-guess the decision to challenge, saying the puck was loose and adding, “I’d do it ten out of ten times.”
Vegas controls early
The Golden Knights got a pair of goals from Brett Howden, who had 12 goals and 22 points in 58 games in the regular season. He picked up his 12th and 13th goals of the playoffs Thursday, both on plays that showed off his grit and ability to finish.
The Golden Knights had another slow first-period start, managing two shots on goal. But Howden scored on the second and that was good enough for a 1-0 lead.
Mitch Marner’s long backhanded flip pass caught Howden in full stride at the Carolina blue line. He fought off defenseman Sean Walker — a 50-50 puck battle won by the Vegas forward — and beat Andersen with 6:27 left in the opening period.
It was another critical play by Marner, whose last-second block of an Alexander Nikishin slapshot sealed the win in Game 1. Marner also had a slick backhander to set up a goal in the opener.
Howden’s second goal came after a defensive lapse by the Canes. Howden skated alone up the middle and though the neutral zone, took a pass from Ivan Barbashev, shouldered his way around defenseman Jaccob Slavin and scored again with 12:37 left in the second.
Brind’Amour made some line tweaks looking for … something. He moved Jarvis to the Staal line. and Martinook to Sebastian Aho’s line.
“We were in a little funk there and we needed to do something,” Brind’Amour said.
With a 2-0 lead, the Golden Knights were content to cut off shooting lanes, clear the zone and let the minutes tick off in the third period. Canes fans remained supportive and were rewarded.
The Canes kept pushing. The Knights had lost defenseman Brayden McNabb in the first period -- McNabb hit in the head by a shot -- and the Canes continued to attack, to forecheck, keep the pressure on.
After the 5-4 loss in Game 1, the Canes spent time breaking down the video and talked of “cleaning up” mistakes that hurt or slowed them in the opener. It worked.
Like father, like son
It has taken Canes winger Jackson Blake just two years to match his father for NHL career playoff games. The game Thursday was to be Blake’s 30th.
Blake’s father, Jason, was a forward who played 13 NHL seasons and 871 regular-season games. He played 21 playoff games with the Islanders, six with Anaheim and three with the Los Angeles Kings.
Jackson said his dad was attending the playoff games, saying, “He’s loving every bit of it for sure. He’s having fun. It’s been super special to enjoy it together.”
Blake’s real focus was on winning Game 2 and evening the series.
“I think we’ll have a big bounce-back game,” he said. “I believe in our group.”
Chatfield family grows
Win or lose the Cup, Canes defenseman Jalen Chatfield will have many memories from the 2026 playoffs and none more meaningful than after Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against Montreal.
Chatfield did not know that his wife, Drew, had gone into labor during the game. He was told during the Prince of Wales Trophy presentation at Lenovo Center, after the Canes won.
“Thankfully it worked out perfectly, and I didn’t have to miss the birth or anything,” Chatfield said Wednesday. “About 7:30, she went to the hospital. She texted (team official Mike Brown) and said, ‘Don’t tell him till after the game.’ So I had no distractions.
“It worked out perfectly. I was able to get a police escort and get there with a couple of hours to spare before he was born. So it was perfect.”
The Chatfields have two sons: Krew, born in July 2023, and Rhodes.
Providing meals
The Carolina Hurricanes Foundation on Thursday announced the team will provide 150,000 meals through a $50,000 grant to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina’s Stop Summer Hunger initiative, as part of the Hurricanes’ special playoff grant initiative.
The effort provides healthy meals and snacks for local families with children during the summer months when school breakfast and lunch aren’t available.
The foundation has presented a donation to a nonprofit during each round of the 2026 NHL playoffs, with the total now $200,000.
This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Hurricanes work Game 2 OT magic again, topple Vegas to square series at 1-1."
