Tomas Hertl netted the third-period game-winning goal to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. Here's what Head Coach John Tortorella and a few Golden Knights had to say following the series-clinching win.
Shea Theodore on the team's unique ability to erase deficits in games…
We were in this situation quite a number of times in the regular season, so I feel like we're kind of comfortable. Obviously, it's never ideal. But when guys keep their head down, keep pushing, keep trying to play the right way, things end up turning for us.
Theodore on killing penalties at key times…
Anytime you're on the kill, you can't give anything up. It definitely adds momentum coming out of the penalty kill. John Stevens has done a great job making sure everyone's on board and getting guys in the right spot.
William Karlsson on the message from Tortorella after going down 2-0…
Just trust the plan, advance the puck up, maybe a little less east-west plays in the neutral zone, and chip away that way. That's how we score a goal. Get it deep, win a puck back, get traffic. Hockey is simple in that way.
Karlsson on Carter Hart’s save right before the game-winning goal…
Huge. Probably saved the game and won us the game.
Colton Sissons on his assist on the game-winning goal…
We ended up turning a puck over and Hertl cycled to me in the slot. I could see it unfolding a little bit, trusted myself to make a play, and he did the rest.
Sissons on Hertl's offensive impact…
He's been huge, such a big part of our offense. I know it was hard on him for a while, not chipping in, but he worked through it and was getting the chances. They just weren't going in. That's the way this game goes sometimes. I'm really happy for him and we need it to continue throughout the series.
Brett Howden on Theodore's assist to him in the third period…
Shea's been awesome for us. His vision is unbelievable. On that play, he wasn't even looking at me, but I feel like he knew I was going there and made an unbelievable pass. I just had to chip it in.
Howden on the play of Theodore, Karlsson, and Brayden McNabb…
Those guys mean everything. They built this team from the ground up, built the culture here, starting from the top down. They were here from the start. They lead the way. They're unbelievable leaders in the room. Pretty cool for them to have a great night.
Howden on stepping his game up in the postseason…
Playoffs are just so much fun. It’s the best time of year. Everything on the line, every shift. Especially in the Final, every play matters so much. I've always really enjoyed it, enjoyed the hardness of it. I'm a north-south player that likes to go hard to the net, and in playoffs when it's tough to score, those are the key times to be going to the net. Pucks are bouncing around there. Just a lot of fun playing this kind of hockey.
Tomas Hertl on the team's ability to do the little things right…
There was a lot happening, but when you score a game winner it's a pretty nice touch. I'm just proud of our team effort, every single guy. It's not always about the goals, it's the details. Mitch at the end of it, massive blocked shots, all the little stick saves. All of it matters. After a kind of rusty start, I think we did a lot of good things.
Brayden McNabb on the defensemen manufacturing offense…
That's part of the game plan. The D want to be active, we have a responsible F3, and that was the situation that came. We're going to be aggressive when we can in all three zones, try to kill plays, and make sure we're on top of them in the O-zone.
Head Coach John Tortorella on the veteran presence of the Original Misfits…
They're calm. They've won before. They've been in this situation. The foundation of our team, the guts of our team, has been through this before. We were down and there wasn't panic on the bench. Those guys lead the way by not panicking. They don't say much, they just play. And I think other people fall in behind them. That's so important at this time of year.
