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How NFL journeyman Josh McCown is a key facet of the Vikings' QB development plan

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How NFL journeyman Josh McCown is a key facet of the Vikings' QB development plan

EAGAN, Minn. — Here is Josh McCown, the upbeat, backward-hat-wearing, gum-chewing Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach. Another preseason practice is complete, and the 45-year-old former NFL quarterback and journeyman is sitting outside the TCO Performance Center, baking in the heat and playing some trivia.

Can you name all 14 of your former offensive coordinators?

He laughs.

“Sounds like you could potentially be missing some,” he says.

Did I count ’em wrong?

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“Well, we’ll go down the list,” he says. “Let’s just see.”

“Rich Olson. Jerry Sullivan. Alex Wood. Keith Rowen. Mike Martz. Greg Knapp. Jeff … was it Davidson? Yep, Davidson. After Jeff, let’s see, that was … Mike Martz again. That’s a repeat. Mike Tice.”

That’s one I didn’t have.

“He was in Chicago, yeah. Marc Trestman and Aaron Kromer. That’s 10. Jeff Tedford and (quarterbacks coach) Marcus Arroyo is 11. John DeFilippo is 12 in Cleveland. Then Hue Jackson and Pep Hamilton. Then John Morton. Then Jeremy Bates. Then Mike Groh in Philly. And then, technically, Tim Kelly in Houston. I didn’t play any snaps, but I was technically on the roster.”

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So, like, 18 maybe?

“I guess, yeah,” McCown says.

That was impressive.

“Yeah. And then in college, going backward, was Jim Ferguson at Sam Houston, Larry Kueck at SMU, a guy named Greg Briner at SMU. High school was Wayne Coleman and Matt Turner. So …”

You’re just showing off. But how about this: If I asked you to translate offensive verbiage from one to the other, could you do it? Like, if I said “Mike Martz” and you rattle off a play.

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“He was a digits legend. Like, Trips Right Scat Right 094 F-Seam Trail. That’s the play that (current Vikings quarterback) Sam Darnold hit in the opener of the preseason this year. It’s not the same call, but that’s our play in that verbiage.”

This is incredible.

Incredible recall, certainly, but also informative upon review. From the time the Vikings set their sights on drafting a quarterback this spring, they have acted intentionally in almost every regard. This includes McCown’s hiring, which surfaced randomly at the NFL Scouting Combine. Head coach Kevin O’Connell made the move for multiple reasons, one of which was a relationship between the two men that goes back more than a decade. Another factor, though, was exactly what McCown is doing here.

Using his memory. Translating information. Not taking himself too seriously or applying too much pressure. This is McCown the quarterbacks coach in a nutshell. Plucking away at what he’s provided for Darnold, J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings organization overall, it becomes more and more clear that the package is a carefully chosen amalgamation of attributes from the names he’s just mentioned.


Back to Trips Right Scat Right 094 F-Seam Trail.

This is Martz’s verbiage of the impressive throw Darnold made to wide receiver Jalen Nailor in the Vikings’ first preseason game, against the Las Vegas Raiders. Darnold released the ball before Nailor peeled off his route toward the middle of the field. McCown is still raving about it.

“The way Sam cut that ball loose, man,” McCown says, “it was just perfect.”

Like, the anticipation?

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“One hundred percent,” McCown says, “and he’s learned that over time. We played together his rookie year. I probably talked about it then. I learned that from being coached by Martz and watching Jon Kitna and Kurt Warner do it. Cut the dang ball loose.”

Martz, for the uninitiated, was the St. Louis Rams’ head coach during the “Greatest Show on Turf” era. McCown first encountered him in 2006 when he was signed by the Detroit Lions at age 27. He’d been in the league for several seasons already and had started 20 games for the Arizona Cardinals after being a third-round pick in 2002. Yet when he showed up in Detroit, Martz described him as a “wild horse rider.”

Martz tells a story about a particular throw in McCown’s first practice with the Lions. Martz asked the quarterbacks to throw a deep in-cut over the middle of the field. McCown, noticing the safety floated down toward the in-cut, threw over the top on a deep post pattern instead. It went for a touchdown.

“I said, ‘What the f— was that?’” Martz recalls. “He looked at me and said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘What the f— was that? You kinda just do what you want to do?’ He didn’t understand.”

You could say Martz was simply being a hardass, but McCown acknowledges this was the first time he’d played in an intentional NFL passing game. He could not just catch the snap, take his drop and scan the field, looking for the open man. Martz’s offense dictated that he look in specific spots for different reasons — and throw the ball at the proper time.

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Josh McCown spent time with 12 NFL franchises — and one UFL team — over 19 pro seasons. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Kitna, with whom McCown competed that season for the Lions’ starting job, assisted with the minutiae. The plays in Martz’s playbook were just a guide. On the field, other factors, like the speed of his receiver and the tendencies of the opposing defense, forced him to adapt. Think of learning an offensive system like an actor learning his lines: The script says one thing, but the actor’s flair is often what brings the production to life. Knowing what words to change or adaptations to make is a skill only developed through experience.

“It’s easy to just give a guy a play and say, ‘Find the open guy,’” McCown says. “And then you come in Monday morning as the coach and hold the clicker and go, ‘You probably should’ve thrown it to that dude.’ Well, yeah, right. Thank you.

“It’s harder work for the coach to go: ‘This is who we think is going to be open. This is where you’re going to start your eyes. And then react to that play, off of that, being as detailed as you can.’”

The challenge, of course, is balancing the details: the need to be purposeful with every aspect of your drop and eyes and decision-making, and the need to keep your mind quiet when you’re in the pocket and the crowd is yelling, the pass rushers are barreling in on you and the defense is swarming across the field.

If Martz, Kitna and Warner explained the need for specificity, Trestman focused on eliminating the gray area. Trestman simplified the amount and extent of McCown’s post-snap decision-making. More than at any other point in his career, McCown, who was 34 with the Chicago Bears in 2013, felt he knew where he was supposed to go with the football. And as long as he operated correctly, Trestman gave him affirmation on the back end — kind of like a catcher who shrugs when the pitcher throws the perfect pitch in the suggested spot and the hitter crushes it anyway. Right process, unfortunate result.

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In O’Connell, McCown found someone who could relate to his experiences with other coaches. They met in 2015 in Cleveland. O’Connell was the Browns’ quarterbacks coach, and together they talked about their favorite concepts, verbiage and teaching philosophies. They worked with Johnny Manziel through that brutal 3-13 season. But McCown appreciated O’Connell’s approach and humility. The first-time NFL coach, six years younger than McCown, would seek advice from him.

They maintained contact after that season as O’Connell began to create a system of his own and McCown played for another five years before becoming the Carolina Panthers’ quarterbacks coach last year. McCown played in 102 NFL games and posted a 98:82 touchdown-to-interception ratio, but his experience with Bryce Young cemented something he says frequently about playing quarterback: This is freaking hard, man.

“In any span of three to five years, there’s maybe five to seven transcendent players at the position,” McCown says. “The rest of them need people around them.”

People, he says, referring mostly to talent on the field.

But the quarterbacks coach is important, too.

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Josh McCown was the Carolina Panthers’ quarterbacks coach last season, working with No. 1 pick Bryce Young. (Rich Schultz / Getty Images)

O’Connell describes his teaching philosophy with quarterbacks by saying, “We want to tie the quarterback’s feet and eyes together.” In a general sense, this is the throughline between being detailed and not clouding the quarterback’s mind.

After naming all of his former offensive coordinators, McCown explains.

“When you watch a quarterback drop and you watch his helmet and it turns to the left, he’s looking left,” McCown says. “If you pause it, you’ll hopefully see the quarterback’s lower half and his feet start to move in that direction to then throw the ball. You’d be shocked, but so many guys — especially younger ones — they’re not connected. Their feet and eyes are all jacked up.”

So, you’re trying to get them synchronized?

“Exactly,” McCown says.

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How do you teach that?

“Reps,” he replies, describing one of the drills the Vikings quarterbacks do daily. They receive the snap, glance over at a receiver on the right sideline, line up their body and throw. Then they catch another snap, shift their eyes to the left, line up their feet and throw again. Some days, they move from the right sideline to the left, as if they’re mimicking four progressions.

“You build that out until you get 22 people out there,” McCown says.

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Do you mean, like, adding the pass rush, which probably makes it harder to be as calm and disciplined with the feet and eyes?

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“Now you’re getting it,” he says, “which takes us all the way back to Martz and to knowing exactly what you’re doing. If you aren’t confident on your end, then your own offense presses on your brain before you even start. Then it’s, ‘Uhhh, what do I? … Oh, no …’ If you know what you’re doing, if you can get guys to play in a system for years, it’s like: ‘Boom. There’s a ball. Boom. There’s another. Boom, boom, boom.’ You’re playing fast, processing. Stress hits, and they know the answer to the test.”

Experience is not required to learn all of this, but it does give him a distinctly empathetic viewpoint as a coach.

McCown encourages. He pats his quarterbacks on the helmet after good throws and offers criticism with a fist bump after bad ones. If he spots something wrong, he doesn’t allow much time to pass before mentioning what he saw. But he does not holler, scream or yell because it’s not authentic to him.

The position is hard enough, he says.

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(Top photo: G. Newman Lowrance / Associated Press)

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AJ Brown trade outcome: Dianna Russini paid a heavy price while Mike Vrabel emerged unscathed

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AJ Brown trade outcome: Dianna Russini paid a heavy price while Mike Vrabel emerged unscathed

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Mike Vrabel and A.J. Brown were winning on Tuesday because the long-rumored trade that reunited them was finally complete. Brown was free of his recent unhappiness with the Philadelphia Eagles, while Vrabel spoke easily and smartly about how his Super Bowl team was getting better.

It was one lovely victory lap for everybody.

Except for Dianna Russini.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel celebrates after the AFC championship game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Jan. 25, 2026. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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MIKE VRABEL BREAKS HIS SILENCE ON DIANNA RUSSINI CONTROVERSY

Yes, this is about her as much as Vrabel and Brown. Those three names will be linked for a long time in NFL circles based on what happened going back as far as September of 2025, and then definitely through this offseason that was about, well, the relationship between the coach and the reporter.

If you aren’t up to speed on that relationship, you’ve got homework. And you will probably catch up easily because the reference material is everywhere — the photos of Russini and Vrabel together, the denials of anything untoward between two married people, the collapse of the professional friendship narrative, and everything after.

So, to the uninitiated, you’re excused. Go now and read the soap opera’s opening chapters. Because this might be the saga’s end, barring a major surprise.

And let me cut to that end:

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown walks on the field during an NFL training camp in Philadelphia on July 29, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)

Brown wins. He’s wholly unscathed, in fact, and happy as a clam with a new team he grew up adoring.

Vrabel wins, too. Yes, he took some lumps, suffered some humiliating moments in front of reporters and had some family conversations he termed “very difficult,” but he’s ultimately none the worse for wear.

And then there’s Russini. She lost. Big time.

FORMER NFL REPORTER MICHELE TAFOYA WEIGHS IN ON WHY RUSSINI’S CREDIBILITY IS GONE

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It was saddening to watch Vrabel’s presser because it was Russini who first reported teams were calling the Eagles about Brown back in September of 2025. She first reported the Eagles weren’t interested in trading Brown.

Russini called it when she told everyone the Patriots were interested (so were the Los Angeles Rams, by the way). And she was right again when she said earlier this year that Brown wouldn’t be traded around the start of the league year in March but watch out for June.

She was dead-on accurate with practically all of it.

Dianna Russini, left, and Mike Vrabel, right, are shown in a split composite image featuring Russini with an ESPN microphone and Vrabel on the Titans sideline wearing a headset. (Imagn Images)

But everyone has surmised all that information came out of her relationship with Vrabel. All that insider work came from other alleged inside work.

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Russini’s information was great but how she seemingly attained it eventually led to her resigning from The Athletic. And sullying her professional reputation.

Losses.

MIKE VRABEL STEPS AWAY INDEFINITELY TO SEEK COUNSELING

Vrabel? He seemed just fine on Tuesday.

About the hardest thing he had to do was answer a question about Brown’s obvious displeasure last year in Philly.

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“I don’t know what happened,” Vrabel said. “I’m not trying to figure out what happened in Philadelphia. I’m trying to focus on what’s going to happen here and trying to get him acclimated to what we do and how we do it.”

Vrabel, during this press conference, congratulated a reporter for winning a marathon. He thanked Executive Vice President for Player Personnel Eliot Wolf for making the trade happen. And he took a bunch of football questions.

Dianna Russini attends the 2026 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Pier 48 in San Francisco, California, on Feb. 7, 2026. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

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There was not one question about whether he indeed for months leaked to Russini details of where the Patriots and Eagles talks were. Not one question about how his family “counseling” sessions are going or if his marriage is certain to survive.

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There was nothing uncomfortable because it seems the local media lost interest or its curiosity on a day the story that Russini beat them on for months was laid bare before them.

And, the thing is, if Vrabel didn’t have to sweat this occasion, he’s probably in the clear. He’s not likely to get tough questions about the whole affair (pardon the pun) again unless more facts come out that raise the issue from the grave.

So, yeah, Mike Vrabel has survived. He’s won.

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Nelly Korda, Michelle Wie West and more: Who to watch at U.S. Women’s Open

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Nelly Korda, Michelle Wie West and more: Who to watch at U.S. Women’s Open

Reaching the summit is a dream. But staying there? That’s an altogether different challenge.

Maja Stark has a special appreciation for that now, a year after winning the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills and feeling the hefty weight of expectation that came along with it.

For her, the aftermath of that victory brought heightened anxiety, and searing criticism from outsiders when the Swedish professional’s play took a dip.

“You get comments and stuff saying, ‘What happened? You just won a major; why do you suck all of a sudden?‘” Stark said at the Chevron Championship in April. “That does take some energy and just makes you focus on the wrong things. Then I got even more stressed and anxious.”

Maja Stark plays a shot from a bunker on the 17th hole during the third round of the Chevron Championship on April 25.

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(Alex Slitz / Getty Images)

Stark said she sought professional help in the form of a mental coach, sports psychologist and therapist and now believes she’s better able to withstand the scrutiny that comes with winning at the highest tier.

That career-shaping pressure will be on display again this week when the USGA brings the U.S. Women’s Open to Riviera Country Club for the first time, merging the game’s most prestigious women’s championship with a historic venue celebrating its centennial year. The tournament takes place Thursday through Sunday.

Riviera is a theater, sitting low beneath high hillsides that almost serve as balconies. Players have described the course as a stage because it can feel as if you’re being watched even when you’re alone.

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“I think there’s something very nostalgic about the facility,” said Jim Richerson, Riviera’s general manager. “The golf course has never had any major renovations or changes. The clubhouse is the exact same footprint today as it was when it was built in the 1920s.”

The U.S. Women’s Open is the oldest of the LPGA Tour’s five majors, and has long served as the standard by which women’s golf measures itself. It’s open to professionals and elite amateurs through a qualifying process, and the tournament is known for identifying the player who can withstand the most pressure under the most demanding conditions.

NBC will televise the championship and although Mike Tirico will not call the event, he knows the significance of holding it at Riviera.

“Without there being a Masters for women’s golf, that tournament really is the crown jewel of the sport,” Tirico said. “It has become the event people dream of winning. … It’s just appropriate that it’s contested at a place like Riviera that for so many generations has come to define a great championship test of golf.”

A look at some of the players to watch:

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Nelly Korda

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament.

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the Chevron Championship on April 26.

(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

The world’s No. 1 player is a major needle mover for women’s golf and is a significant source of ratings when she’s in contention. She had a record five consecutive victories last season and seven overall. Her missing major is the U.S. Women’s Open. She finished in a runner-up spot last year and left Erin Hills firmly believing a win was within reach.

Jeeno Thitikul

Jeeno Thitikul plays a shot from the fairway during the first round of the Queen City Championship on May 14.

Jeeno Thitikul plays a shot from the fairway during the first round of the Queen City Championship on May 14.

(Jeff Dean / Associated Press)

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The former World No. 1 is still in pursuit of her first major championship. She’s a big question mark in the field.

Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko hits from the fairway during the second round of the LPGA Honda Thailand on Feb. 22.

Lydia Ko hits from the fairway during the second round of the LPGA Honda Thailand on Feb. 22.

(Kittinun Rodsupan / Associated Press)

This Hall of Fame player is the only golfer in modern Olympic history to win a complete set of medals — gold, silver and bronze — across three different Olympic Games. She’s still looking for her first U.S. Women’s Open win.

Charley Hull

Charley Hull hits off the 16th tee during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

Charley Hull hits off the 16th tee during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

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A colorful character who went viral during the 2024 Open for smoking a cigarette while signing autographs and playing. She was among a cluster who finished second in that tournament. She has three victories on the LPGA Tour but has yet to win a major.

Rose Zhang

Rose Zhang hits from the ninth tee during the final round of the Queen City Championship on May 17.

Rose Zhang hits from the ninth tee during the final round of the Queen City Championship on May 17.

(Dylan Buell / Getty Images)

Zhang, who has been splitting time between Stanford and the LPGA, amassed a remarkable collection of victories as an amateur and three years ago, became the first player in 72 years to win an LPGA Tour event in her professional debut.

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Minjee Lee

Minjee Lee prepares to putt during the third round of the Chevron Championship on April 25.

Minjee Lee prepares to putt during the third round of the Chevron Championship on April 25.

(Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Lee, an Australian star, has won three majors including the U.S. Women’s Open in 2022. Her younger brother, Min Woo, won the 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur, making them the first brother-sister tandem to win the USGA’s junior championships.

Yuka Saso

Yuka Saso lines up a putt during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

Yuka Saso lines up a putt during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

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She is the anomaly of anomalies, with zero wins on the LPGA Tour with the exception of two U.S. Women’s Open victories. She won the first of those at 19 years, 11 months and seven days — astoundingly tying her for the youngest player to win the Open with Inbee Park, who was precisely that old when she won in 2008.

Lilia Vu

Lilia Vu watches her shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the Queen City Championship on May 16.

Lilia Vu watches her shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the Queen City Championship on May 16.

(Dylan Buell / Getty Images)

Vu grew up in Fountain Valley and was a standout at UCLA. She won two majors in 2023 but lately has been battling back problems.

Michelle Wie West

Michelle Wie West of the United States hits from the third tee during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

Michelle Wie West of the United States hits from the third tee during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

(Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

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Wie West retired three years ago after the Open at Pebble Beach, but is coming out of retirement to use her last year of exemption to play at Riviera. Her husband, Jonnie West, son of late NBA icon Jerry West, will be caddying for her.

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Tomas Hertl scores game-winner as Golden Knights rally to beat Hurricanes in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

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Tomas Hertl scores game-winner as Golden Knights rally to beat Hurricanes in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

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The Vegas Golden Knights have taken Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, erasing the Carolina Hurricanes’ early 2-0 lead to win a thrilling 5-4 game in Raleigh and set the tone for this best-of-seven series.

It’s a seven-game win streak for Vegas now, as they haven’t lost since Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Anaheim Ducks. They surprisingly swept the Colorado Avalanche to win the West, and they kept that momentum going on the road.

Tomas Hertl was the hero for the Golden Knights in Game 1, as he scored the game-winning goal on a snipe with 3:25 left in the third period.

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Tomas Hertl of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates a goal during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game One of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on June 2, 2026. (Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images)

But it wasn’t easy for Vegas in the first period when the Hurricanes were quick to assert their home-ice advantage just 25 seconds into the game.

It was the first shot on goal for either side when Nikolaj Ehlers poked a puck past an aggressive Shea Theodore for Vegas, and he sprinted down ice toward Carter Hart, who mans the Golden Knights’ net. Ehlers, though, had the perfect shot, ringing the post and sending the Hurricanes faithful into a frenzy with the 1-0 lead before some could even get to their seats.

DESPITE POTENTIAL RATINGS NIGHTMARE FOR NHL, VEGAS-CAROLINA STANLEY CUP FINAL STILL HAS PLENTY OF INTRIGUE

Then, midway through the period, Ehlers found himself in yet another breakaway scenario, and he didn’t squander the opportunity to take advantage. He put a nifty move on Hart, and his backhand found the net to make it 2-0.

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Jalen Chatfield also had his eye down ice, recognizing that Ehlers was uncovered and quickly turned Jack Eichel’s turnover into the opportunity.

But if there’s anything the Golden Knights have proved in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s to never count them out. Another example of that was seen on Tuesday night.

Theodore made up for his mishap to start the game with an absolute rocket off his stick on a one-timer that saw its way through traffic and past Frederik Anderson in net to get Vegas on the board shortly after Ehlers’ second goal.

Then, as the second period got underway, it was Ivan Barbashev who decided to return the favor of scoring in 30 seconds or less. As Vegas entered the offensive zone with speed, the puck found Jack Eichel’s stick. He quickly spotted Ivan Barbashev cutting through the slot, and Barbashev fired a shot over Frederik Andersen’s right shoulder before the goalie could react.

Nikolaj Ehlers of the Carolina Hurricanes scores his second goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period in Game One of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on June 2, 2026. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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With that, the Golden Knights tied this game up, but they didn’t let the momentum go. William Karlsson, who already has a cup under his belt for Vegas, did his part in seeking the next trophy. Mitch Marner had a tremendous backhand pass from behind the net that found Karlsson’s stick all alone out in front, and Anderson had no chance as Vegas took a 3-2 lead.

At that moment, the air in the Lenovo Center was taken right out of the fans’ sails, but a trusty veteran restored that later in the period. Jordan Staal, who watched his brother and 2006 Stanley Cup champion with the Hurricanes, Eric Staal, get the crowd going with the siren at puck drop, potted his third goal of these playoffs.

Jordan Staal snapped a wrister past Hart thanks to a heads-up play by K’Andre Miller to keep the puck onside and find his teammate fast for the grade-A chance.

The bleeding was stopped, but the third period was bound to be a thriller based on how these two teams were finding clear chances to score. Who broke the tie first was the major question, and Brett Howden had the answer just 1:21 into the period.

The playoff leader in goals, Howden had a beautiful tip on a shot by Theodore for his 11th of the playoffs and perhaps his most important in Game 1. The scoreboard remained silent for some time after that, with both teams trying to set up solid forechecks, but to no avail. The Hurricanes even had a power play, but they couldn’t find the back of the net.

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William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period of Game One of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on June 2, 2026. (Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)

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Then, with 8:41 left, some puck luck found the Hurricanes, as defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere saw an offensive zone face-off biscuit fall right into his lap with no one around. He secured the puck on his stick blade and wristed it past Hart for the 4-4 tie.

However, the rollercoaster ride for the Hurricanes didn’t have a happy ending when they got off, with Hertl’s goal, assisted on a crafty Sissons’ pass following a face-off, being the final say in this one.

Game 2 of this series will be played once more in Raleigh on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.

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