Hurricanes Take 3-2 Cup Lead: Svechnikov PPx2, Bussi 23 Saves, Vegas in Trouble

Andrei Svechnikov scored two power play goals, Jordan Staal extended his Cup Final goal streak to a fifth straight game, and rookie Brandon Bussi turned aside 23 of 25 shots as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 5 at Lenovo Center to take a 3-2 series lead. Carolina is now one win from its first Stanley Cup since 2006, with Game 6 on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena. DraftKings opened the Hurricanes at minus-145 to close it out on the road, with Vegas at plus-120 to force Game 7.

The Hurricanes have won three straight after dropping the opener and Game 3. Vegas, the Western Conference champion and preseason Cup favorite, now needs to win two in a row, with Game 7 on the road if it gets there.

What Happened in Game 5

Pavel Dorofeyev opened the scoring for Vegas, but Jordan Staal answered with his sixth goal of the series to tie it. Staal has now scored in five consecutive Cup Final games, a streak no NHL player has matched since Mike Bossy in 1982. Svechnikov gave Carolina the lead with the first of his two power play goals, then added the insurance marker in the third. Sebastian Aho chipped in his first of the series. Dorofeyev got his second of the night late, but Bussi shut the door from there.

Bussi, an undrafted free agent who spent three seasons in Providence of the AHL before this year, is now the first goalie in NHL history to win each of his first two career playoff starts in a Stanley Cup Final. He stopped 23 of 25 on Thursday after stopping 18 of 21 in Game 4. Carter Hart gave up four for the fifth straight game and finished with an .833 save percentage.

The Numbers

1. Svechnikov has six goals in the playoffs and the Hurricanes' power play is now 5-for-19 in the Final (26.3%). 2. Staal's five-game Cup Final goal streak puts him alongside Mike Bossy (1982), Steve Payne (1981), and Johnny Bucyk (1970) on the very short list of players to score in five-plus consecutive Cup Final games. 3. Bussi's save percentage across his first two NHL playoff starts: .911 (41 saves on 45 shots). 4. Vegas is 0-for-12 on the power play in its last three games, including 0-for-3 in Game 5. 5. Teams that take a 3-2 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final go on to win the Cup 78.3% of the time historically (47 of 60).

Betting and DFS Impact

The Hurricanes opened at minus-145 on DraftKings for Game 6 in Las Vegas, with Vegas at plus-120 and the total at six (timestamp: opening odds released June 11, 2026). Carolina's road performance in this Final, splitting the first two in Vegas, gives the price some teeth. The Cup futures market has moved hard. Carolina is now the prohibitive favorite to lift the trophy, with Vegas needing to win Game 6 and a road Game 7 to flip it.

For props, Svechnikov's anytime goal number will tighten after a two-goal performance and is worth shopping early. Staal's anytime number stayed soft for most of the series despite the streak, but five straight will close that gap. Bussi's over on saves is the more interesting angle if Vegas comes out desperate at home and pushes shot volume back toward the high 30s, which it did in Game 3 (37 shots).

DFS exposure on the Hurricanes' top power play unit is the cleanest play if you build for Sunday. Carolina's man advantage has scored in three straight games, and Vegas has taken at least three penalties in every game of the series.

What to Watch in Game 6

Will Rod Brind'Amour stay with Bussi or roll back to Frederik Andersen (lower body) if he is cleared? Brind'Amour has not committed publicly, and Andersen returning to start a potential clincher on the road is the kind of decision that defines the rest of a coach's career. The other angle is special teams, where the Hurricanes are now plus-five in goal differential on special teams in the series. If Vegas does not solve its power play in Game 6, this Final is over.

Puck drops Sunday at 8 p.m. ET in Las Vegas on ABC and Sportsnet. T-Mobile Arena is already sold out, with Game 7 (if necessary) scheduled for Tuesday back in Raleigh.

Chad AI tracks every Stanley Cup Final prop and live line move inside the Stat Sniper app. For full Cup Final odds and our model's read on Game 6, see the latest NHL daily picks and our Game 5 preview for series context.

Source: NHL.com Game 5 recap.

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