Vegas Golden Knights come back from a 2-0 deficit to steal Game 1 from the Hurricanes

I find it funny that people were brushing off this Stanley Cup Final as "boring" and "unwatchable." Yet, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes proved that was a complete lie. In fact, the Golden Knights came back from a 2-0 deficit to win, 5-4.

One was expecting this to be a goaltending duel between Carter Hart and Frederik Andersen. But that was the opposite as both goalies couldn't keep up with the game's fast pace. As a result, pucks were flying into the net and the game was an absolute performance.

The Hurricanes got two first period goals from Nikolaj Ehlers, one from Jordan Staal in the second period, and one from Shayne Gostisbehere in the third period. The Golden Knights got goals from Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson, Brett Howden, Shea Theodore, and Tomas Hertl. The offense saw an Original Misfit renaissance that stymied Frederik Andersen throughout the night. Not only that, but Brayden McNabb had three assists.

Three!

With Game 1 in the books, fans have plenty to say about the aftermath. Who stood up for the Golden Knights and who must they defend better? What were some of the awe-inspiring moments that caught the public's eye during Game 1? Let's look at the game film and see what happened during this eventful Tuesday.

Nikolaj Ehlers is going to be a problem in the Stanley Cup Final

The Carolina Hurricanes recovered a puck deep in the defensive zone and fired it to Nikolaj Ehlers. Shea Theodore was caught napping on the assignment and watched the Danish forward blitz down the ice. Ehlers fires off a shot.

*PING*

25 seconds in and he scores.

Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel made some fatal errors on both goals. However, Ehlers has six goals and five assists during the postseason, making him a primary concern for the Golden Knights. So, what's a team to do in this situation?

Well, it goes back to taking care of the puck. You can't get careless with the puck and let Carolina pounce on something loose. They will quickly strike and blitz Carter Hart, as proven by Jordan Staal's second period goal. Also, defend your man, as Theodore should've done on the first goal.

Ivan Barbashev continues to shine for the Vegas Golden Knights

Nobody expected this series to get off to a fast start, scoring-wise. Yet, everyone saw Nikolaj Ehlers have an electric Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights. However, the Golden Knights needed a counter-punch of their own. Enter Ivan Barbashev.

The Russian winger had a game-tying goal and eight hits to keep Vegas afloat. He continues his blistering postseason with six goals and seven assists, marking one of his best Stanley Cup playoff performances ever.

Barbashev's name has been thrown around a lot in trade discussions in the past year. Fans were worried that he wasn't stepping up when it counted, leaving them to show him the door. However, that dialogue has done a complete 180, with each passing hit keeping him in the team's future plans. Who would've thought that Barbashev would be the top line spark plug in Game 1?

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