How the chaotic final 15 minutes of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final unfolded

Published 5 June 2026 · sports

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Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes combined for five goals in the frantic final 15 minutes of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night, and another one got waved off. It was somehow an even crazier finish than the series opener 48 hours earlier, when Vegas’ Tomas Hertl scored the winner with 3:24 left. It’s all tied up after the Hurricanes overcame a multigoal deficit in thrilling fashion. Here is how it happened 10:20 left in regulation Down 2-0 after having almost nothing going offensively for the first two periods and much of the first half of the third, the Hurricanes hemmed the Golden Knights in their own end, getting three shots on net and testing goalie Carter Hart. Vegas iced the puck, and the crowd could sense the home team was buzzing. “The building got going,” captain Jordan Staal said.

“Obviously, we just needed a spark.” 9:40 left Logan Stankoven, who has been one of the Hurricanes’ best players all postseason, took it upon himself to make a difference. He stole the puck from Rasmus Andersson behind the net, skated toward the crease and banked the puck in off defender Jeremy Lauzon. “It’s tough to find goals,” Staal said. “We got a bounce. That’s kind of all it took.” 7:14 left The momentum turned quickly, and the fourth line kept it going. William Carrier somehow stayed onside, and while getting tangled up with Lauzon, passed the puck to streaking linemate Mark Jankowski, who fired a shot past Hart to tie it. “I didn’t have a lot of time, honestly,” said Jankowski, who scored his first of the playoffs after having two called off. “Just got it on my stick, got my head up and just tried to give my best shot possible. Didn’t have a lot of thought behind it, honestly. Instinct half kicked in there.” Read More 5:00 left With Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev, a two-time Cup champion, around the net with room to maneuver, Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen stretched across the crease to get the paddle of his stick on the puck and keep it out.

Players converged, and puck eventually went in the net and referee Jean Hebert immediately waved it off, announcing it was goalie interference because Andersen was pushed. Golden Knights coach John Tortorella challenged that it was not. Officials and the NHL’s on-site situation room quickly confirmed the call on the ice, putting the Hurricanes on the power play. “I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie,” Tortorella said. “Our player stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it goes through him into the other side. I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.” 4:35 left Carolina’s power play was 0 for 4 in the series to that point and 7 for 60 in the playoffs. Shayne Gostisbehere took a shot from the point, Staal redirected it in from just in front of Hart and Carolina had the lead for the first time all game. “Just shooting pucks and finding ways to get it to the net,” Staal said. “Just finding ways to get a good, quality shot.” 3:29 left Jackson Blake interfered with Barbashev, putting Vegas on the power play. The Hurricanes’ penalty kill got the job done, improving to 56 for 60, a 93.3% success rate.