The Carolina Hurricanes answered with the season on the line, beating the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 in Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena to even the Stanley Cup Final 2-2. The headline was a goaltending gamble that paid off: Rod Brind’Amour benched Frederik Andersen, a healthy scratch for the first time all playoffs, and started Brandon Bussi in his NHL playoff debut. Bussi made 18 saves and became the first goalie since 1961 to win his playoff debut in the Stanley Cup Final. Captain Jordan Staal scored twice, including the game-winner early in the third, and the series heads back to Raleigh tied with home ice regained.
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Final score and box-score notes
- Final: Carolina Hurricanes 5, Vegas Golden Knights 3
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
- Game-winner: Staal (3rd period, 6:32)
- Hurricanes goals: Staal (2, including the GWG), Stankoven, Blake, Ehlers (empty-netter)
- Hurricanes standout: Nikolaj Ehlers (1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points)
- Golden Knights goals: Karlsson, Stone, Howden
- Goaltenders: Bussi (Carolina, 18 saves, playoff debut win); Hart (Vegas, 23 saves). Andersen a healthy scratch.
- Series: Tied 2-2
What happened
After watching Andersen post a sub-.850 series save percentage and get pulled in Game 3, Brind’Amour made the boldest call of the Final: he sat his veteran starter and handed Bussi his first NHL playoff start in a must-not-lose game. It worked. Bussi was calm and positionally sound, and the skaters in front of him finally turned 5-on-5 territorial edges into goals.
Carolina got the secondary scoring that had gone missing in the two losses. Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven scored, Nikolaj Ehlers put up a three-point night (1 goal, 2 assists), and Jordan Staal buried two, the second at 6:32 of the third period for the game-winner. Ehlers’ empty-netter sealed it. Vegas got goals from William Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Brett Howden, and Carter Hart kept the Knights within range with 23 saves, but Vegas could not solve Bussi late.
How our Game 4 best bets did
- Carolina ML -114: ✅ WIN. The better team, in a desperation spot, cashed even as the road favorite.
- Over 5.5 (-135): ✅ WIN. Eight total goals; the series has now gone over in all four games.
- Andersen Over 24.5 saves (-125): VOID. Andersen was a healthy scratch, so the prop refunds. The “Andersen question” we flagged got the most extreme answer possible, a benching, and the bet never had a chance to play.
The two headline plays (Carolina ML and the Over) both hit. Worth noting for prop bettors: it was Ehlers (1G 2A) and Staal (2G), not Sebastian Aho, who drove the offense, so anytime-scorer tickets needed the depth names.
Series Futures After Game 4
| Team | Post-G3 | Post-G4 (today) |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina to win Cup | +160 | -125 |
| Vegas to win Cup | -190 | +105 |
| Series to go 7 | +220 | +180 |
| Carolina in 6 | +320 | +280 |
| Vegas in 6 | +300 | +320 |
The market swung back to Carolina. With the series 2-2 and the Canes holding home ice for Games 5 and 7, Carolina is a slight Cup favorite again at -125 after sitting at +160 just two days ago.
Conn Smythe Market After Game 4
| Player | Odds | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Staal | +600 | Two goals and the GWG in the series-tying win |
| Ehlers | +650 | Three-point Game 4 |
| Marner (VGK) | +300 | Still leads after the Game 3 hat trick |
| Theodore (VGK) | +400 | Game 3 2OT winner |
| Aho | +450 | Carolina’s playoff scoring leader; quiet in Game 4 |
Game 5: Thursday in Raleigh
Game 5 is Thursday June 11 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, 8 PM ET on ABC. The winner moves within one victory of the Cup. Two questions decide it:
- Does Bussi keep the net? He won his debut, but a single game is a small sample. Brind’Amour now has a real decision: ride the hot hand or go back to the veteran.
- Can Carolina protect home ice? The Canes were excellent in Raleigh all postseason. Win Game 5 and they go to Vegas with two chances to clinch.
Where to Bet Game 5 From North Carolina
All eight NC-licensed sportsbooks are pricing Game 5 and the updated series futures. FanDuel runs the largest guaranteed welcome offer in the state (“Get $350 in Bonus Bets Guaranteed”, bet $5 for 7 days) and leads on Same Game Parlay pricing for the NHL.
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Compare all eight operators at our NC sportsbooks comparison, or revisit our Game 4 preview.
Series schedule
| Game | Date | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Tue Jun 2 | Carolina | VGK 5, CAR 4 |
| G2 | Thu Jun 4 | Carolina | CAR 4, VGK 3 (OT) |
| G3 | Sat Jun 6 | Vegas | VGK 5, CAR 4 (2OT) |
| G4 | Tue Jun 9 | Vegas | CAR 5, VGK 3 |
| G5 | Thu Jun 11 | Carolina (Lenovo Center) | 8 PM ET ABC |
| G6 * | Sun Jun 14 | Vegas | If necessary |
| G7 * | Wed Jun 17 | Carolina | If necessary |
* If necessary.
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