The Vegas Golden Knights fell 5-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4. Following the painful loss, Vegas head coach John Tortorella expressed his frustration during the postgame press conference.
“They don’t earn their winning goal,” Tortorella said.
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final has been a true rollercoaster of a series. After Vegas’ double-overtime win in Game 3, the Hurricanes bounced back with a 5-3 victory in Game 4.
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Jordan Staal two goals
In total, the 2026 Stanley Cup Final has seen 33 goals scored through the first four games, the third-most through four games in NHL history. Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal scored twice and became the first player in 43 years to score a goal in each of the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final. The last time it happened was in 1982, when Mike Bossy scored in each of the first four games for the New York Islanders.
“It’s a wild ride, isn’t it? There’s a lot of emotion, lots of ups and downs. Tonight, I was proud of the group and how we responded in the third period. We obviously didn’t have a great second. The game was back and forth again, but we stuck with what we wanted to do in the third, stayed patient, and found a way to get one. I thought we did a good job of grinding the puck down low and keeping it out of our net,” Staal told reporters after the game.
John Tortorella frustrated
Staal’s second goal of the night was a real beauty, but John Tortorella felt his team handed the Hurricanes the game-winning goal by leaving the front of the net wide open.
“I thought we battled back. Our third period was probably our best period. The frustrating part for me is that they don’t earn their winning goal. It’s not so much the turnover — Carter makes a great save. But after that, we make another mistake and leave the front of the net open. It’s just given away for free. That’s a hard one for me to accept in the third period,” Tortorella said at the press conference.
Game 5 will be played in Carolina on Thursday.
You can watch the press conference below.
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