Stanley Cup Hurricanes Golden Knights Hockey

Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal celebrates his goal during the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Las Vegas.

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Staal's acrobatic backhand shot pulls Hurricanes even with Golden Knights in Stanley Cup Final

Staal's acrobatic backhand shot pulls Hurricanes even with Golden Knights in Stanley Cup Final

Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal chose the simple approach to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final with Carolina trailing in the best-of-seven series. But, the 20-year veteran’s game-winning goal Tuesday night was anything but simple. Then again, considering how he has played against the Vegas Golden Knights in this series, perhaps it was. With the game tied at 3 in the third period, Staal’s sprawling backhand shot while in mid-air with 13:29 left beat Vegas’ Carter Hart and found the back of the net for his second score of the game, and it held up as the winner in the 5-3 victory. The series is tied at 2-all heading back to Carolina on Thursday.