Hurricanes shut out Golden Knights; win first Stanley Cup in 20 years

June 14 (UPI) -- Jaccob Slavin and the Carolina Hurricanes vaporized Vegas Golden Knights offensive threats in a Game 6 shutout Sunday to seal the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 20 years.Slavin provided an assist, but made most of his impact as a spoiler of the Golden Knights' hopes of extending the series, foiling countless chances in Carolina's 3-0 triumph in Las Vegas."What a feeling," Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, the Stanley Cup playoffs MVP, said on the ABC broadcast.

"What a battle. The boys were grinding today. So many individual efforts to keep the puck out of the net.

It was an amazing ride."Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi, who took over for benched starter Frederik Andersen in Game 3, made 22 saves in Game 6 to become the first rookie to record a shutout in a Stanley Cup clincher since 1936. The Hurricanes are the first team since the 1984 Edmonton Oilers to win a Stanley Cup while using two starting goalies."

It's special," Bussi said. "It's been a special year. It's been an honor to do it with this group.

Everybody deserves it so much."Staal, who totaled 12 points in the playoffs, became the oldest player (37) to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Jackson Blake led the Hurricanes with 20 points in the playoffs.

He logged his seventh goal and 13th assist in Game 6. Taylor Hall totaled 19 postseason points, including a Game 6 goal.Fellow forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who scored the final goal of Game 6, totaled 18 postseason points.

With the victory, the Hurricanes captured their first Stanley Cup since 2005-06, when they earned their first title in franchise history. The 2025-26 Hurricanes finished the postseason with a 16-3 record, including their 4-2 mark in the title series.The Golden Knights, who scored at least three goals in each of the first four games of the series, totaled two in Game 5 before their season-ending shutout loss.

Sunday's struggle included a stretch of nearly 19 minutes -- spanning from the second period and into the third -- without a singl