Bussi among top performers for Hurricanes in Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Who played well in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final? Sometimes it’s easy to tell, sometimes it isn’t. NHL.com graded the players in the fifth game of the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center, a 4-2 win by the Carolina Hurricanes against the Vegas Golden Knights for a 3-2 lead in the series. In the Final, when a series is tied 2-2, the Game 5 victor goes on to win the series nearly 75 percent of the time (20-7; .741).

Here are the things that stood out the most.

Honor roll

Brandon Bussi (Carolina Hurricanes): Coach Rod Brind’Amour was asked early in the series if the backup goalie would be ready if called upon after sitting for the entire postseason. Brind’Amour said yes, but also intimated that things would not be good if they had to go away from Frederik Andersen and rely on the first-year goaltender they picked up on waivers in October. Well, Brind’Amour was wrong. Bussi has won each of his first two starts and stopped 18 straight shots in relief in Game 3 before losing on a fluke goal in double overtime. In Game 5, Bussi turned in the best performance by any goalie in this series, making 23 saves. He is the first goaltender in NHL history to make his first two career playoff starts in the Final and win each game.

Jordan Staal (Carolina Hurricanes):  The captain is killing the Golden Knights. That was the assessment of Vegas coach John Tortorella after Staal scored two goals in Game 4, including the game-winner in a 5-3 win. In Game 5, Staal scored Carolina’s first goal, tying the game at 11:46 of the first period. He slammed Brayden McNabb into the corner, weakening the defenseman’s clearing attempt. Then he went straight to the front, a few steps ahead of McNabb, and put his stick on the ice, deflecting a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers past Carter Hart for his sixth goal of the Final. He joined Jean Beliveau and Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens and Cyclone Taylor of the Vancouver Millionaires as the only players to open the Final with a five-game goal streak. The 37-year-old hadn’t had a five-game goal streak in the regular season or playoffs since he was 18.

Pavel Dorofeyev (Vegas Golden Knights): The high-scoring forward was in a bit of funk but broke out of it with a power-play goal at 6:52 of the first to open the scoring, snapping a pass past Bussi. It ended his seven-game goal drought and six-game point drought. It was his 11th goal of the postseason and his League-leading fifth on the power play, which established a single-postseason mark for the Golden Knights. Dorofeyev also scored the other goal by Vegas, at 13:49 of the third period. He has 12 goals this postseason.

Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes): The Finnish forward has not found it easy going in the 2026 postseason. He had four goals and 11 points in the first 17 postseason games, but picked the perfect time to break out, scoring one of the biggest goals of his career at 17:51 of the second period to make it 3-1. Sean Walker's pass from the point hit Aho in the skates as he drove the net, but he was able to fish it out and get off a shot before he ran out of real estate.

Andrei Svechnikov (Carolina Hurricanes): The Russian forward was looking to make an impact in the Final and he did in the biggest game, scoring two power-play goals. Svechnikov has eight career playoff power-play goals, passing franchise icon Ron Francis and moving into fourth place on the franchise list for postseason power-play goals.

Stock watch

Mike Commodore: ⬆️ The retired defenseman won the Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006, partying after the game in a white bath robe embroidered with the Hurricanes logo and his No. 22. He was in the building for Game 5 and broke out the robe for his turn to sound the siren for the game. He made the most of it, spinning the storm siren around as he cranked the handle.

Stormy: ⬆️ The Hurricanes mascot had a bit in the first intermission where he held up a sign reading “Stormy hearts Hurricane Witch,” referring to the protagonist in the pregame show by the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena for the past two games. She tries to blow The Fortress down but is foiled by the Golden Knight. Once he has the attention of the crowd, he tears up the sign, eliciting a huge ovation. A classic bit.

Nikolaj Ehlers: ⬆️ The Danish forward has six points in his past two games. He had beautiful assists on each of Carolina’s first two goals in Game 5, by Staal and a power-play tally by Svechnikov at 11:58 of the second period, and then a third assist on Svechnikov’s second goal at 11:08 of the third period. He also drew a third-period penalty against Jack Eichel that blunted Vegas’ momentum. This after a one-goal, two-assist showing in Game 4.

Mark Stone: ⬇️ The Vegas captain took a double minor for high-sticking defenseman Jalen Chatfield in the attacking zone at 8:38 of the third period with Vegas down two goals. Svechnikov scored on the back end of the two penalties and made it 4-1 with 8:52 remaining.

Vegas penalty kill: ⬇️ So vaunted coming into the Final, it has lost its way in the past two games, allowing two power-play goals on five chances in Game 5 after allowing a power-play goal to Staal in Game 3 on one of three man-advantages Carolina had.

What we learned

Golden Knights need a save

On Wednesday, Vegas coach John Tortorella said he had no concerns about goalie Carter Hart, who had allowed four goals in each of the four games. He unequivocally said no. Well, Hart let up four goals again, on 24 shots, and Vegas is on the brink of elimination. It may be time to rethink the faith. 

Hurricanes aren’t allergic to the second period

The Hurricanes had been outscored 9-1 in the second period through the first four games of the series but scored the only two goals in Game 5’s second period to take a 3-1 lead that would not be relinquished.