Hurricanes' Power Play Comes Alive in Wild Comeback Win
Carolina flipped the script in a wild game that had everything—big hits, controversial whistles, and a power play that finally started behaving like one. The Canes came back from an early 2-0 hole and rode the man advantage to a late-game lift, turning a tense night in Raleigh into a full-on party by the final horn. The final score was 4–3 for the Hurricanes.
The Golden Knights roared out to a 2-0 lead.
Vegas controlled the first half, jumping out to a 2-0 lead and making Carolina look flat through 40. Ehlers rang one off the post, and McNabb took a nasty one to the face early—he left for evaluation, which understandably quieted the crowd. Vegas’ attack felt cleaner for long stretches, and the Knights had Carolina silenced until the third period. But the momentum swing came from one messy, crucial thing: the power play.
The Canes’ PP had been a flop all playoffs—sputtering at just over 12%—and it looked like that trend might continue until the third. A questionable trip on Staal by a Vegas defender finally handed Carolina a chance, and they made it count. Gostisbehere’s no-look feed to Jarvis—beautifully placed short side—was a clinic play: creative, patient, and surgical. That goal didn’t just put them on the board; it changed the tone of the game.
Finally, the Canes poured on the pressure.
From there, Carolina poured on the pressure. They kept piling up chances, getting bodies to the net and forcing Vegas to defend in its own end. A quick sequence later produced the tying goal—two in a row on the power play, and suddenly, a two-goal deficit turned into a full momentum takeover. The crowd that had been quiet for much of the night got louder by the minute, and you could feel the shift. Shirtless fans on the Jumbotron started appearing late; by the end, it was a celebration.
There were tense replay moments—goal reviews and a close no-call in overtime—and the game had its share of chaotic officiating chatter. Still, Carolina’s persistence was the headline. Jarvis, who had been quiet earlier, kept grinding and eventually delivered when it mattered most. The special teams flip was the difference: Vegas’ tidy early game couldn’t withstand an energized Carolina power play that finally found its identity.
The Canes power play was the difference-maker.
In short, Vegas had control early, but Carolina’s power play woke up when the team needed it most, turning a 2-0 deficit into a comeback that shifted the game. Goalie situations and injury updates will be talked about after this one, but the big takeaway is simple—the Canes’ PP showed up when everything was on the line, and that was the story of the night.