The Carolina Hurricanes secured a crucial 4-2 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night, moving within one win of the championship trophy.
Carolina overcame an early deficit with four unanswered goals to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
>>> Hurricanes Beat Golden Knights 4-2, Move Within One Win of Stanley Cup
Staal Makes History
Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals during the matchup, while veteran forward Jordan Staal also made history.
Staal scored his sixth goal of the series, marking his fifth consecutive game with a goal in the finals, joining an elite NHL group that includes Jean Béliveau and Maurice Richard.
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour praised his captain's ability to steady the team after a slow first period and shift the game's momentum.
"Lors de la première période, qui nous a ramenés dans le match? Jordan Staal.
Nous avons pu prendre une bonne respiration et nous dire qu'il n'y avait pas de dommage. Je ne peux pas être assez élogieux envers lui," said Brind'Amour.
The coach noted that the offensive production from the captain serves as a major boost for the entire roster during this championship run.
"On ne s'attend pas à ce qu'il nous donne de telles statistiques et lorsqu'il le fait c'est un bonus.
Il le mérite.
Il faut aller en chercher une autre et il est le premier à le savoir, tout notre groupe le sait," added Brind'Amour.
Despite being just one victory away from lifting the Stanley Cup, Staal emphasized that the team's mindset must remain unchanged heading into the next matchup.
