The Carolina Hurricanes blew a lead and lost Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights. After the game, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour called out his own star players.
“Your best guys gotta get on the scoresheet,” he told reporters.’
Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final was played in Raleigh, and the home team got off to a great start.
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Carolina Hurricanes blew a lead
Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice in the first 12 minutes. However, the Golden Knights then woke up and responded with three unanswered goals. Later in the game, Carolina managed to keep pace, but with three and a half minutes remaining, Tomas Hertl scored the game-winning goal to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 5–4 victory.
“Obviously, when you score a game-winner, it’s a pretty nice touch, but I’m just proud of our team effort and every single guy. It’s not always about the goals; it’s about the details. Massive blocked shots, all the little stick saves — at this time of year, it all matters. After a rusty start, I think we did a lot of good things,” Hertl told reporters after the game.
Rod Brind’Amour called out players
For the Hurricanes, it was a tough loss. Coming into the Final with a 12–1 playoff record, however, they simply couldn’t play their game. In particular, their top line of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis was held pointless in Game 1, something that ultimately led head coach Rod Brind’Amour to call them out afterward.
”They had one good shift in the third there. Everyone has to play well if you’re going to win at this time of year, simple as that. Your best guys gotta get on the scoresheet. That’s gonna have to happen if we wanna get to where we wanna be,” Brind’Amour told reporters after the game.
Game 2 will be played on Thursday in Raleigh.
You can watch Rod Brind’Amour’s press conference below.
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