Seth Jarvis scores in overtime,
Carolina beats Vegas in Game 2 to tie Stanley Cup Final
[June 05, 2026]
By STEPHEN WHYNO
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Seth Jarvis scored on a power play in overtime
after Carolina erased a deficit in regulation only to gave up a late
tying goal, and the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night to tie the series.
Jarvis’ heroics 3:56 into OT came after a thrilling third period
that included four goals being scored and another getting called off
because of goaltender interference. Carolina became the first team
since 1994 to win a Cup final game when trailing by multiple goals
in the final 10 minutes.
“It was lot,” said Jarvis, who scored for just the fourth time this
playoffs. “We did a great job controlling our emotions. We never got
too high, never got too low. Just kept responding, and that’s what I
love about this group is we always bounce back.”
Game 3 is Saturday night in Las Vegas. There is now a guarantee the
series will return to Raleigh for a Game 5 next week.
That did not look anything close to certain when Hurricanes had
almost nothing going for the first 45 minutes, falling behind by two
goals as the Golden Knights took advantage of a couple of scoring
chances and locked down defensively. A couple of strong shifts in
the offensive zone just before the midway point of the third brought
the crowd back to life because the Hurricanes were buzzing.
“The building is a tough building to play in when it gets going,”
captain Jordan Staal said. “Obviously, we just needed a spark.”
Logan Stankoven, one of the team's best players this spring,
provided he. Stankoven made a terrific individual effort to get them
on the board, taking the puck away from Rasmus Andersson, going to
the net and banking a shot off Jeremy Lauzon and in with 9:40
remaining in regulation.
Less than three minutes later, Mark Jankowski fired a shot past
Carter Hart to tie it, flipping the script from Game 1, when Vegas
erased a multigoal deficit and won. This is the first time each of
the first two games of a Cup final featured a team falling behind by
more than a goal and winning.
“Stanky did a great job getting it going and Janks with a great
shot, and it just carried on from there,” Jarvis said.
A big decision by Vegas coach John Tortorella with five minutes left
paved the way for it to happen.
Frederik Andersen initially went full extension to deny Ivan
Barbashev with the paddle of his stick, and a scrum ensued in the
crease that ended with the puck eventually in the net. Referee Jean
Hebert waved it off immediately, saying Andersen was pushed into the
net and ruling it was goaltender interference.
“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie," Tortorella said. "Our
player stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it goes through him
into the other side. I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.”
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Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov (37) and Sebastian Aho (20)
scuffle with Vegas Golden Knights' Cole Smith (22) and Nic Dowd (26)
during the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup
Final series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben
McKeown)
Tortorella after some deliberation opted to use his
coach’s challenge, and the on-ice officials in consultation with the
NHL’s situation room confirmed the call on the ice stood.
“The ruling on the play was goaltender interference,” executive vice
president and director of officiating Stephen Walkom told a pool
reporter. “He waved it (off) immediately. He believed that it was
under the goalie, and the Vegas player went after the puck and
interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and
waived it off immediately.”
The punishment for a failed challenge is a 2-minute minor penalty.
The Hurricanes went on the power play, where they had been so
ineffective all night and most of the playoffs.
Not this time. Staal redirected Shayne Gostisbehere’s point shot in
on the power play. with 4:35 left in regulation.
The Hurricanes killed off a penalty in the intervening time before
allowing Stone to tie it with 1:21 left at 6 on 5 with Hart pulled
for an extra skater. Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin actually
knocked the puck into his own net on the play.
Eearly in overtime, Tomas Hertl tripped Staal to put Carolina back
on the power play. That allowed Jarvis to score just Carolina’s
ninth power play goal of the playoffs.
“That’s a step in the right direction,” Jarvis said. “Our power play
found our groove tonight. It started with Jordo in the third, and
there just making the right plays, playing smart and being
aggressive and it worked out.”
Instead of Vegas going home looking to move to the verge of a second
championship in nine years of existence, the series is all square,
despite Hart making some big saves and Brett Howden scoring his
playoff-leading 12th and 13th goals.
Asked what changed, a tight-lipped Tortorella said: “I have my
thoughts. I’m not discussing it here.”
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