The Carolina Hurricanes are one win away from their first championship in 20 years. They take the ice against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes hold a 3-2 series lead and have an opportunity to close out the matchup on the road.
Carolina seized control of the series by winning Games 4 and 5 after falling behind 2-1 early in the Final. The momentum shift coincided with a goaltending change to Brandon Bussi. He stopped 46 shots across his first two starts of the championship round. The Hurricanes secured a 4-2 victory in Game 5 to push Vegas to the brink of elimination. On the offensive end, 23-year-old Logan Stankoven leads the Carolina roster with 11 playoff goals.
The Golden Knights are fighting to extend their season without a core piece of their forward group. Center William Karlsson is out for Game 6 after suffering an upper-body injury in the previous contest. His absence removes nine points of playoff production from the Vegas lineup. The home team will rely heavily on winger Mitch Marner, who has tallied 29 points this postseason and recorded a historic hat trick during the fastest span in Cup Final history in Game 3.
This matchup features the top teams from their respective divisions. The Hurricanes finished the regular season as the number one seed in the Metropolitan Division with a 53-22-7 record. Vegas entered the playoffs as the Pacific Division champions. The national broadcast airs live on ABC as the Golden Knights attempt to force a decisive Game 7.