It will be hard to focus knowing that the Stanley Cup will be in the building and it could be won tonight, but the Carolina Hurricanes will do their best to concentrate on the task ahead and not how their evening could end.
The Hurricanes are one victory away from winning the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history. Holding a 3-2 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina will enter T-Mobile facing a team that is 7-3 at home during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
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Rod Brind’Amour understands what his players are experiencing. He was on the last Hurricanes Stanley Cup-winning team in 2006.
“We talked about that already little bit,” Brind’Amour said. “It’s the hardest one, and we talk about this all the time. You have a team that you’re playing that knows how to win and has done it, and we know they’re not going away. You’ve got a little more distractions now. You’re not only playing a team that gets it, now you’ve got the added distractions too. So, it’s a little bit more difficult and we’ve got to manage that and still got to play your best game if you expect to have a chance to win.
“And that’s really the focus.”
The Golden Knights, who will likely be without William Karlsson for the remainder of the series due to a shoulder injury, are hoping to force a Game 7 on Wednesday.
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“They’ve been through it all,” said Vegas head coach John Tortorella said. “They know what’s at stake here. We need to win one game here. They’ll be ready to play.”
Start time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: T-Mobile Arena | Raleigh
TV channel: ABC
Live15 updates
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 6:29 PM PDT
Jason Owens
Vegas just got another good look at the goal on a 2-on-1 break and once again came up empty thanks to Brandon Bussi’s 14th save on 14 shots so far. The rookie’s had a remarkable impact on the series since taking over in goal
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 6:23 PM PDT
Jason Owens
The second period started with 38 seconds remaining on a Vegas power play.
The Golden Knights got six shots on goal for the entirety of the power play, but Brandon Bussi turned them all back to keep Carolina on top, 1-0.
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 6:12 PM PDT
Jason Owens
Shots on goal
Vegas: 10
Carolina: 8
Power plays
Vegas: 0 for 1
Carolina: 0 for 2
Faceoffs won
Vegas: 10 of 19
Carolina: 9 of 19
Hits
Vegas: 12
Carolina: 12
Giveaways
Vegas: 5
Carolina: 2
Takeaways
Vegas: 1
Carolina: 3
Saves
Vegas (Carter Hart): 7 on 8 shots
Carolina (Brandon Bussi): 10 on 10 shots
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 6:04 PM PDT
Jason Owens
The first period of Game 6 ends with Carolina holding a 1-0 lead and 40 minutes away from a Stanley Cup championship.
Vegas applied pressure with a late power play and will start the second with 38 seconds remaining of their 5-on-4 advantage.
But rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi continues to thrive since taking over Carolina’s goal late in Game 3. He turned back 10 Vegas shots on goal in the first including a diving block to cap a mad flurry in the final seconds of the period to keep the Golden Knights off the board.
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 5:59 PM PDT
Jason Owens
A Jack Eichel hooking penalty gave Carolina a look at its first full two-minute power play.
Vegas successfully killed the penalty and will now end the first period with its own power play following a cross-checking penalty on Logan Stankoven.
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 5:54 PM PDT
Jason Owens
Andrei Svechnikov got a look at an empty net when Vegas goaltender Carter Hart got caught out of position behind the net late in Carolina’s power play.
But Hart recovered for a remarkable diving save to sthe puck out of the air and keep Carolina’s lead at 1-0.
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 5:49 PM PDT
Jason Owens
Vegas had 31 seconds of a power play due to a tripping penalty on Jackson Blake.
But Tomas Hertl drew a delay of game penalty on a faceoff violation to send the game to 4 on 4. Both teams got shots on goal, but neither was able to capitalize on their roughly 30 seconds of power play time.
Carolina maintains a 1-0 lead with less than 7 minutes remaining in the first period.
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 5:40 PM PDT
Jason Owens
Vegas got pressure and a potential equalizing shot on goal that Brandon Bussi had to grab out of midair behind him after the puck bounced off the top of the net and almost in.
Vegas protested that the puck crossed the line, but replay confirmed that Bussi snagged it outside of the goal. A heads up play from Bussi on a close call keeps Carolina on top, 1-0.
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 5:31 PM PDT
Jason Owens
Once again, Carolina is on the board early. This has been a trend in this series and has given the Hurricanes a 1-0 edge early with a Stanley Cup championship at stake.
Taylor Hall scored on a breakaway after a Vegas giveaway with a slapshot past Carter Hart with 16:13 remaining in the first period.
The Golden Knights are under immediate pressure with with a 1-0 deficit and their season and the Stanley Cup title at stake.
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 5:26 PM PDT
Jason Owens
The puck has dropped on the final game of the season in Las Vegas.
Win or lose, there won’t be another home game for the Golden Knights. They’ll hope to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Raleigh. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, can celebrate a Stanley Cup championship in Las Vegas with a win tonight.
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 5:21 PM PDT
Jason Owens
For a third straight game, rookie Brandon Bussi will get the start in goal for Carolina. And for a third straight game, Frederik Andersen is a late scratch.
Andersen started each of Carolina’s playoff games through Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Bussi replaced him in Game 3 after Andersen allowed four goals in the second period of an eventual 5-4 loss in double overtime.
Bussi started in Carolina wins in Games 4 and 5 and will have a chance to close out the Golden Knights with a championship at stake. Pyotr Kochetkov will back him up. Andersen isn’t dressed for game action.
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 4:45 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
According to Canadian broadcaster John Shannon, the referees are set for Game 6:
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 4:30 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 4:15 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
We’re less than an hour out from Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. Here’s a look at the odds from FanDuel Sportsbook:
Point spread: Hurricanes -1.5 (+210), Golden Knights +1.5 (-265)
Moneyline odds: Hurricanes -115, Golden Knights -104
Sun, June 14, 2026 at 4:00 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff