The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been largely dominated by road teams, and that trend continued with the Final as the Vegas Golden Knights took down the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in Game 1 thanks to Tomas Hertl's go-ahead goal with 3:24 remaining in the third period. The Golden Knights went up 2-0 on the road in the Western Conference Final, and they're hoping to return to Vegas once again with a 2-0 lead when they visit the Canes for Game 2 Thursday night. They've won seven games in a row.
Road success isn't anything new for Vegas, which has won three straight road Game 1s dating back to last year against Dallas. The Golden Knights have also gone up 2-0 in each of the last three series in which they started as the visitor, winning last round against Colorado but falling to Dallas last year. This is Vegas' third Cup appearance in its nine-year existence.
The Hurricanes will be hoping to rebound like they did in the Eastern Conference Final. Carolina is 12-2 this postseason, and its first loss was a 6-2 stunning blowout to Montreal last round. The Canes bounced back with four straight wins to make the Final. Carolina has been bolstered by elite defense, giving up two or fewer goals in all but two playoff games this year, with the two outliers being the team's two losses. This is the Hurricanes' third Stanley Cup Final appearance, and the first since they won it all back in 2006.
Brett Howden scored his playoff-leading 11th goal and added an assist for the Golden Knights in Game 1, while defenseman Shea Theodore netted a tally and set up two others. Fellow blue-liner Brayden McNabb collected three assists as Vegas improved to 20-4-1 since John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy as head coach with eight games remaining in the regular season.
Nikolaj Ehlers staked the Hurricanes to the 2-0 lead in the series opener with his second two-goal performance this postseason. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and captain Jordan Staal also scored while blue-liner Jalen Chatfield notched a pair of assists.
The NHL betting odds at the major sportsbooks see the Hurricanes as favorites in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, as they are listed at about -160. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are priced around +135. Carolina has scored first in each of its last six games and 12 of 14 overall this postseason. The team is -135 at DraftKings Sportsbook to extend its streak on Thursday. Learn how to read betting odds here.
STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 2 | ||||
TEAM | DRAFTKINGS | FANDUEL | CAESARS | BETMGM |
Carolina Hurricanes | -162 | -170 | -170 | -165 |
Vegas Golden Knights | +136 | +140 | +143 | +140 |
Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights Game 2 best bets
Pavel Dorofeyev: Over 2.5 shots on goal (+108, FanDuel)
Dorofeyev entered the Stanley Cup Final with a share of the postseason goal-scoring lead but was overtaken as teammate Brett Howden netted his 11th tally in Game 1. There was no lack of effort to score on Dorofeyev's part, however, as he was one of Vegas' three co-leaders with three shots on goal. The 25-year-old Russian right wing is tied with teammate Jack Eichel for second among remaining postseason players with 45 shots and has registered at least three in six of his last eight games. I believe he'll be firing the puck at Carolina's Frederik Andersen often once again in Game 2.
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Taylor Hall: 1+ points (-113, FanDuel)
Hall leads the Hurricanes in scoring with 16 points this postseason, which he began with a six-game streak during which he collected three goals and six assists. The 34-year-old left wing has slowed down, landing on the scoresheet in only three of his last eight contests. Hall registered three points in two of those three outings, however, and has gone back-to-back games without a point just once in these playoffs. I like him to contribute offensively in Game 2 and wouldn't be surprised if he came up with another multi-point performance.
