Theodore among top performers for Golden Knights in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Who played well in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final? Sometimes it’s easy to tell, sometimes it isn’t. NHL.com graded the players in the first game of the best-of-7 series at Lenovo Center on Tuesday, a 5-4 win by the Vegas Golden Knights against the Carolina Hurricanes. Here are the players who stood out the most.

Honor roll

Shea Theodore (Vegas Golden Knights): The defenseman got Vegas started on the comeback trail with a shot from the point that had eyes to make it 2-1. He added two assists later, including one on the winning goal by Tomas Hertl. Early goals in the Final are nothing new for Theodore. He has played in Game 1 of a Final three times and has six points (three goals, three assists), the most points among active skaters in the opening game of the Final. Theodore has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 11 Cup Final games.

Nikolaj Ehlers (Carolina Hurricanes): The Danish forward scored the first two goals of the game, the first at 35 seconds and the second at 12:08. They were the fastest two goals by one player from the start of a Stanley Cup Final in more than 35 years. He is the second player on record (since 1997-98) to score on the first shot on goal in a Stanley Cup Final. The only other instance was Game 1 of the 2007 Final, when Mike Fisher scored at 1:38 for the Ottawa Senators.

Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights): It took the center eight seasons and a trade from the Buffalo Sabres before he reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, he has been in the Final twice in four seasons. On Tuesday, he assisted on a goal by Ivan Barbashev that made it 2-2 at 30 seconds of the second period, giving him 50 assists in 57 postseason games and making him the eighth-fastest player to reach the mark. No American player has done it faster; Craig Janney had held the record at 61 games. Eichel has nine assists in six Cup Final games, and his average of 1.50 per game is tied with Daniel Briere (12 points; three goals, nine assists in six games) for the highest in League history with a minimum of five games played.

Ivan Barbashev (Vegas Golden Knights): The rugged forward was a pain for the Hurricanes all night. His goal, on a sizzling wrist shot on the first shift of the second period, dragged the visitors back into the game. He also had a game-high eight hits and was a menace on the forecheck.

Jordan Staal (Carolina Hurricanes): The Hurricanes captain waited 17 years to get back to the Final, but he made the return memorable, scoring in the second period with a shot over the blocker of Carter Hart. Staal last scored in a Final with the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 in 2009. It was 16 years, 358 days between goals, the longest span in NHL history. He broke the record set by his brother, Eric Staal, who went 16 years, 354 days between goals with the Hurricanes in 2006 and the Florida Panthers in 2023.

Stock watch

Atmosphere: ⬆️ Carolina hadn’t hosted a Stanley Cup Final game since winning the Cup in Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers 20 years ago, with its fanbase establishing itself as one of the loudest on the NHL circuit. The Caniacs have lost nothing off their fastball; Lenovo Center was painfully loud. More than once, a whistle to stop play went unheeded by the players, who could not hear it over the crowd. The bar has been set high for the fans at T-Mobile Arena in Game 3 on Saturday.

Goalies: ⬇️ Carter Hart and Frederik Andersen had been the two stingiest goalies in the playoffs. It didn’t look like it Tuesday. Hart allowed four goals on 27 shots, and Andersen, who only allowed five goals in the final four games of the Eastern Conference Final, allowed five goals on 23 shots.

Mitch Marner: ⬆️ The Golden Knights forward was making his Cup Final debut after never having gotten past the second round until this season. He didn’t look out of place, and his primary assist on the goal by William Karlsson that gave Vegas a 3-2 lead in the second period was one of the prettiest passes of the night.  

Jalen Chatfield: ⬆️ The unheralded Hurricanes defenseman was dominant in the first period, assisting on both goals by Ehlers. He is the 10th defenseman in NHL history to record multiple points in the opening period of a Stanley Cup Final and second in the past 33 years, following Chris Pronger of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010.

Eric Staal: ⬆️ Jordan’s older brother was in town to sound the siren to start the game. Eric played his first 12 NHL seasons with the Hurricanes and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2006. The 41-year-old, who last played in the League during the 2022-23 season with the Florida Panthers, looked like he could still take a shift in the NHL as he cranked the handle on the siren, bringing the crowd to a frenzy.

What we learned

Hurricanes are dangerous on breakouts

Carolina used long breakouts, many of them coming on flip and saucer passes, to spark its transition game and get behind the Vegas defense. The Golden Knights will have to find a way to counter this.

Golden Knights won’t quit

Vegas was down 2-0 and gave up goals that tied the game 3-3 and 4-4 but was able to strike again each time. Carolina will have to figure out how to hold on to leads.