Been here before: Golden Knights face another pivotal Game 5 in Cup Final

RALEIGH, N.C. — For the third time this postseason, the Vegas Golden Knights are going into a Game 5 where the series hangs in the balance.

The Stanley Cup Final shifts back to Lenovo Center on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes in a series that has more than lived up to every expectation imaginable.

Four games of comebacks. Four games of heart-stopping finishes. Both teams have split one game at home and one on the road to set the stage for the most important game of the series.

This is the third Cup Final in the expansion era (since 1968) to see the first four games tied at any point in the third period, and the first since the Chicago Blackhawks/Tampa Bay Lightning final in 2015.

“I don’t think anybody expected this,” coach John Tortorella. “But that’s playoffs. You expect the unexpected, I guess.”

It would be par for the course if this series had a close finish in Game 5. The Knights were comfortable in both of their swing-game situations earlier in the postseason.

The biggest difference this time is the venue. The Knights had the luxury of playing at home the first two times, winning both critical games against the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks in overtime.

The Knights went on to win Game 6 both times, in convincing fashion, on the road.

They’re going to have to do it one more time — this time in one of the loudest buildings in the NHL, knowing what awaits them on the other side of this game.

Because there will be a Game 6, one more game inside T-Mobile Arena this year. The Stanley Cup will also be in the building.

Whether or not that requires another trip to North Carolina isn’t concerning to Tortorella.

“Like I said earlier on — I’m not sure if it was this round, or other rounds — I don’t care where we play,” Tortorella said. “I think we have a really good team, and it doesn’t matter where we play. We’re trying to get better every game, and it doesn’t matter which building we’re in.”

Rare territory

There haven’t been many situations where the Knights are in uncharted playoff territory as a franchise. A Game 5 in the Stanley Cup Final that doesn’t result in the winner hoisting the Cup is among them.

The winner of Game 5 goes on to win the Cup Final 74.1 percent of the time (20-7). The home team is 15-3 in those situations, while the road team is 5-4.

The road team has gone on to win the last three situations when the series is tied, even as recently as last year when the Florida Panthers won in Edmonton and went on to win their second straight title in Game 6.

Home-ice advantage meant something in the earlier rounds. It didn’t mean as much when the Knights won the first two of the Western Conference Final in Colorado and went on to sweep the series.

The same can be said in this series. The Knights stole home ice in Game 1 and were 10 minutes away from taking the first two in Carolina.

Such can be said about the Hurricanes nearly pulling off a four-goal comeback in Game 3, but found a way to break a tie in the third period to win on Tuesday.

“I think it’s totally different from back in the day,” said Tortorella, a coach of nearly three decades. “Back in the day when the game was played differently, I think players policed the game back then. The game is policed by the league basically now, and I think it changes a lot of things as far as the buildings.”

Changing momentum

Carolina built on its finish in Game 3 with a quick start in Game 4. The Hurricanes jumped out to a 3-1 lead after the first period.

The Knights, as has been constant with them all series, rallied back to tie it with two goals on only five shots in the second period.

A defensive breakdown starting with a turnover from defenseman Shea Theodore, leading to Carolina captain Jordan Staal’s game-winning goal, was the difference in a 5-3 victory.

The Knights feel they’re still in a good spot despite letting Game 4 get away from them. They felt that way in the earlier rounds. They’ll try to lean on that experience one more time.

”I just feel like we’re a very comfortable in whatever situation we’re in,” defenseman Rasmus Andersson said.

Up next

Who: Golden Knights at Hurricanes

What: Stanley Cup Final, Game 5 (series tied 2-2)

When: 5 p.m. Thursday

Where: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, N.C.

TV: ABC

Radio: KFLG 94.7 FM/KKGK 1340 AM

Line: Hurricanes -150; total 6

—

Stanley Cup Final schedule

Game 1: Knights 5, Hurricanes 4

Game 2: Hurricanes 4, Knights 3 (OT)

Game 3: Knights 5, Hurricanes 4 (2OT)

Game 4: Hurricanes 5, Knights 3

Game 5: June 11, 5 p.m. at Lenovo Center, KTNV-TV (Channel 13)

Game 6: June 14, 5 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena, KTNV-TV (Channel 13)

*Game 7: June 17, 5 p.m. at Lenovo Center, KTNV-TV (Channel 13)

*if necessary