After overcoming an early two-goal deficit to steal Game 1 on the road, the Vegas Golden Knights will look to take control of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 on Thursday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Heading into this matchup, I’m interested to see how the Hurricanes and goaltender Frederik Andersen (five goals allowed on 23 shots) bounce back from just their second defeat of the postseason.
Without further ado, let’s dive into my Golden Knights vs Hurricanes best bets for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes Game 2 Odds
All NHL odds used for these Golden Knights vs Hurricanes predictions are current as of Thursday, June 4, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Golden Knights (+136) / Hurricanes (-162)
- Spread: Golden Knights +1.5 (-192) / Hurricanes -1.5 (+160)
- Over/Under: Over 5.5 Goals (-130) / Under 5.5 Goals (+110)
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes Game 2 Predictions
Score Prediction: Hurricanes 3, Golden Knights 2
The Golden Knights have been playing their best hockey of the season in recent weeks and are riding a seven-game winning streak into Game 2. However, I expect that impressive run to come to an end on Thursday night.
Carolina rebounded from its only prior postseason loss — a 6-2 home defeat to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final — with four straight wins, including a pair of 3-2 victories in Games 2 and 3.
Plus, the Canes weren’t exactly outplayed in Game 1. Carolina had the better of the scoring chances, creating 2.43 expected goals to Vegas’ 1.98 per MoneyPuck.
Look for Rod Brind’Amour’s team to even the series at Lenovo Center, where it tied for the NHL lead with 29 home wins during the regular season.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes Game 2 Best Bets
Hurricanes ML (-162) vs Golden Knights
Vegas has been on a tear lately, but I’m backing Carolina to even this series on home ice Thursday night.
The Canes are better defensively than they showed in Game 1, as they made a few sloppy plays with the puck that led to Golden Knights goals.
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We saw the same thing happen in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against Montreal after Carolina dealt with a long layoff.
I like the idea of backing the Canes to win in regulation (+105), but I’ll play it safe and lay the juice in case we get overtime.
Back Carolina with your NHL pick of the day.
Golden Knights @ Hurricanes: Under 5.5 Goals (+110)
Goaltenders Carter Hart and Frederik Andersen came into the Stanley Cup Final in impeccable form.
Hart surrendered just seven goals in a four-game sweep of the Colorado Avalanche, while Andersen allowed just five goals in Carolina’s four victories over Montreal.
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Game 1s tend to be higher scoring as the two teams figure each other out, but the goal totals should drop as this series progresses.
With that in mind, I’m backing Game 2 to feature five or fewer goals at plus-money odds.
