Staal keeps Stanley Cup Final streak going, scores Game 4 winner for Hurricanes

LAS VEGAS -- The pass came across the low slot slowly, like a change-up.

Jordan Staal had to adjust.

The Carolina Hurricanes captain twisted and turned, trying to get his forehand on the puck, failing, flailing. His feet tangled, and he started to fall, fading away from the net.

Somehow, he reached out and whacked the puck with his backhand, and it fluttered past the glove of the goalie diving across the crease.

At first, Staal wasn’t sure it had gone in. But then he heard the crowd go quiet and his teammates yelling. Flat on his stomach, he put his face down on the ice and shook his fists in celebration.

“I don’t know, man,” Staal said. “I was in my own world. It was an incredible moment, obviously, and just let a big yell go.”

Staal had scored his second goal of the night and fifth of the Stanley Cup Final, and it held up as the winning goal in a 5-3 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.

The best-of-7 series is tied 2-2.

“I almost missed the pass, because it was kind of rolling, and then I saw him falling in slow motion,” said forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who earned the primary assist on the play. “And, I mean, at the time, you’re not laughing. But after it went in, I was laughing pretty hard and celebrating. That was impressive.”

Staal has been so impressive in this series that he has put himself into the conversation for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The 37-year-old is trying to follow in the footsteps of his brother Eric, who won the Cup with Carolina in 2006, and to win the Cup for the first time himself since he did it with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, a 17-year gap that would be the longest in NHL history for a player between championships.

He has spent 14 seasons with the Hurricanes building toward this opportunity, missing the playoffs the first six seasons, making the playoffs each of the past eight seasons but losing in the Eastern Conference Final three times. He doesn’t want to waste it.

“He’s a dog, like, if I’m going to be honest,” teammate Jackson Blake said. “He does everything. I just think it’s how bad he wants to win. We all want to win so bad, but he’s playing like it’s his last games right now. That’s how good he’s playing.”

Staal is best known as a defensive center. He had two goals in 13 games entering the Cup Final while taking on tough matchups. But now he has seven goals in the playoffs, a new NHL career high.

He’s 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, and has great hands. That has come in handy against the Golden Knights, who have a big, physical defense corps and are known for how well they defend the netfront.

“I’ve been telling the guys to get to the hoop for I don’t know how long, years, so good things happen around there,” Staal said. “Especially the way (the Golden Knights) play, there’s opportunity to get there, and you just need a bounce.”

Staal banged in a loose puck on the power play at 12:48 of the first period, giving the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead. He became the first player to score in each of the first four games of a Cup Final since Mike Bossy did it for the New York Islanders against the Vancouver Canucks in 1982, and he became the second player 37 or older to score at least four goals in the Cup Final. Brad Marchand was 37 when he had six goals for the Florida Panthers against the Edmonton Oilers last year.

“He’s killing us in the front of the net, Staal,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “… He’s a big man. He’s a good player. That’s where he lives. We got to do a better job.”

After the Golden Knights came back to tie it 3-3, Staal struck again to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 lead at 6:32 of the third period. He became the third-oldest player with a multigoal game in the Cup Final. Mark Recchi was 43 when he scored twice in Game 3 for the Boston Bruins against the Canucks in 2011. Igor Larionov was 41 when he scored twice in Game 3 for the Detroit Red Wings against the Hurricanes in 2002.

“It’s a good time to get hot,” Staal said. “There’s no question. I just want to contribute any way I can, and the puck’s going in for me, and I’ll take it.”

Game 5 is at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, CBC).

“He’s been our leader and our bus driver for sure,” teammate Logan Stankoven said. “That fourth goal for us was incredible. I don’t know how he found a way to put that in. Yeah, he just does all the little things right, and we’re in a position like this because of him, so we’re going to need him to keep doing that.”