Samwise NHL & Hockey Newsletter
Friday, June 12, 2026
Hurricanes Beat Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 5, Lead Stanley Cup Final 3-2
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh on Thursday, taking a 3-2 lead in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. Andrei Svechnikov scored twice on the power play, and Sebastian Aho also scored as Carolina’s special teams proved decisive. Backup goaltender Brandon Bussi made 23 saves for his second straight win in the series. Vegas lost center William Karlsson to a shoulder injury in the second period and he did not return. The Hurricanes, who last won the Stanley Cup in 2006, can clinch the championship in Game 6 on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Sources: ESPN
Staal Ties NHL Record With Five Consecutive Goals in the Stanley Cup Final
Jordan Staal scored in his fifth consecutive game of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final on Thursday, tying the NHL record for the longest goal streak in a Finals series. The 37-year-old Hurricanes captain is the first player to accomplish the feat in more than 50 years and just the fifth in NHL history to score in five straight Final games. Staal has scored in every game of the series, a central factor in Carolina’s 3-2 lead over the Golden Knights entering Sunday’s potential Cup-clinching Game 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Sources: TSN
Undrafted Bussi Makes NHL History With Second Straight Stanley Cup Final Win
Brandon Bussi stopped 23 of 25 shots in Game 5 on Thursday, becoming the first goaltender in NHL history to make his first two career playoff starts in the Stanley Cup Final and win both. The 27-year-old was a waiver wire pickup before the 2025-26 season who won 31 games during the regular year. Bussi has stopped 59 of 65 shots for a .908 save percentage across his appearances in the Cup Final, outplaying Vegas starter Carter Hart in each of his two starts. His back-to-back wins have pushed Carolina within one victory of its first Stanley Cup championship since 2006.
Sources: NHL.com
Karlsson Exits Game 5 With Injury, Coach Tortorella Says He Won’t Return for Game 6
Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson was helped off the ice late in the second period of Game 5 on Thursday after absorbing a hit into the boards from Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker. Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella indicated post-game that Karlsson was not expected to return for Game 6. With Karlsson absent, Vegas took four penalties leading to two Carolina power-play goals in the 4-2 loss. Karlsson had recorded nine points in 14 playoff games this spring after returning from a six-month injury absence, serving as a key penalty killer and offensive contributor for the Knights.
Sources: TSN
Hurricanes Recall Miftakhov From AHL as Andersen’s Status Remains Uncertain Before Game 6
The Carolina Hurricanes recalled netminder Amir Miftakhov from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves on Thursday, hours before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. The move came with starter Frederik Andersen’s status uncertain after he was struck in the head by Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev in Game 3 and did not play in Game 4. Miftakhov and Andersen were both listed as scratches for Game 5, serving as emergency backup options behind starter Brandon Bussi and backup Pyotr Kochetkov. The Wolves were set to begin the Calder Cup Final on the same day as the recall.
Sources: The Hockey News
Svechnikov’s Pair of Power-Play Goals Expose Vegas Penalty Kill Collapse in Game 5
Andrei Svechnikov scored twice on the power play in Game 5 on Thursday, fueling the Hurricanes’ 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Svechnikov’s first goal came at 11:58 of the second period, curling from the right circle to beat goaltender Carter Hart. His second power-play goal at 11:08 of the third extended Carolina’s lead to 4-1. The four penalties Vegas took after center William Karlsson left the game with an injury directly contributed to Carolina’s Game 5 victory. The Hurricanes’ power play has been a decisive factor throughout the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
Sources: NHL.com
NHL Draft Two Weeks Away With McKenna Expected to Go First Overall to Toronto
The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft is two weeks away, with the Toronto Maple Leafs holding the top selection and widely expected to choose Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick on June 26 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. McKenna, 18, ranked first among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final ratings and topped the VO2 Max aerobic test at the recently completed Scouting Combine. The San Jose Sharks hold the No. 2 pick and the Vancouver Canucks are third. Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg is the top-ranked international skater heading into the final weeks before the draft.
Sources: TSN
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Eastern Conference
First Round (complete)
Carolina Hurricanes def. Ottawa Senators, 4–0
Montreal Canadiens def. Tampa Bay Lightning
Philadelphia Flyers def. Pittsburgh Penguins
Conference Semifinals (complete)
Carolina Hurricanes def. Philadelphia Flyers, 4–0
Montreal Canadiens advanced
Conference Finals (complete)
Carolina Hurricanes def. Montreal Canadiens, 4–1
Western Conference
First Round (complete)
Colorado Avalanche def. Los Angeles Kings, 4–0
Vegas Golden Knights def. Utah Mammoth, 4–2
Conference Semifinals (complete)
Colorado Avalanche def. Minnesota Wild, 4–1
Vegas Golden Knights def. Anaheim Ducks, 4–2
Conference Finals (complete)
Vegas Golden Knights def. Colorado Avalanche, 4–0
Stanley Cup Final — Hurricanes lead 3–2
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Game 1: Vegas 5–4 CAR | Game 2: CAR 4–3 VGK (OT) | Game 3: VGK 5–4 CAR (2OT)
Game 4: CAR 5–3 VGK | Game 5: CAR 4–2 VGK | Game 6: Sun. June 14 at Las Vegas
Curated by JD · samwise.agency