Jordan Staal Ties Five-Game Final Mark in Conn Smythe Push
jordan staal has pushed himself to the front of the Conn Smythe Trophy race by tying the NHL record for the longest goal streak in a Stanley Cup Final, and he did it while Carolina moved within one win of the championship. The Hurricanes led the 2026 Stanley Cup Final 3-2 entering Game 6.
Staal’s five-game run
Staal became the fifth player ever to score in five straight games in a Stanley Cup Final, joining Cyclone Taylor, Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau and Yvan Cournoyer. At 37, he also became the third-oldest player to post a multigoal game in the Final after scoring twice in Game 4 at Vegas, both goals coming from high-danger areas.
The streak is not just about volume. Staal leads the Final with five high-danger goals, 13 high-danger shots on goal and 17 shots on goal overall through five games. He also leads all players with 18 scoring chances, a total that has come from hard-area looks rather than low-percentage perimeter chances.
Carolina’s power-play lift
Carolina has gotten a real boost from Staal’s production on the man advantage. He ranks second in the Final with two power-play goals and is tied for third with three power-play points, despite spending much of the regular season on the second unit and finishing with four power-play goals and no power-play assists in 75 games.
That is a sharp turn from the rest of his recent regular seasons, too. Over the previous four regular seasons combined, he had five power-play points, yet in this Final he has already piled up scoring touches that have helped Carolina go 6-for-16 on the power play. Vegas has gone 2-for-15.
Jordan Staal and Carter Hart
Staal’s scoring chances have also forced pressure on Carter Hart. Of his 18 chances, four became goals, nine led to saves, four were blocked and one missed the net, a spread that shows how often he has reached the most dangerous area before Vegas could settle the play.
The last time Staal ran this hot came in 2007, when he was 18 and playing for the Penguins. He later won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009, but this run is different: after 14 seasons as a versatile third-liner in Carolina, he is carrying the strongest individual case in the series while the Hurricanes head into Game 6 at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday.
