Nikolaj Ehlers Posts Three-Point Game 5, Reaches Eight in Final
Nikolaj Ehlers kept Carolina’s offense moving in Game 5, finishing with three points and reaching eight points in five Stanley Cup final games. The Hurricanes won after trailing 1-0 in the first period, and his scoring run now stretches to back-to-back three-point nights.
Ehlers and Jordan Staal
He set up Jordan Staal on the pass that led to the goal, then added two more assists to finish the night with three points. One of those came as a primary assist on Andre Svechnikov’s second goal of the game, giving Carolina another lift after the early deficit.
Staal has scored in all five games of the Stanley Cup final, a steady run that has kept Carolina in scoring position throughout the series. Ehlers has been involved in that production every step of the way in Game 5, and his final total now sits at eight points across the five games.
Carolina’s New Role
The production has come in a much larger role than he had in Winnipeg. Ehlers left the Jets for a new opportunity in Carolina after often being used less than fans wanted during his Winnipeg tenure, and the move has put him on both power play units on the flank.
That usage has shown up in the numbers. Ehlers has seven goals and 17 points in 17 games in the 2025-26 postseason, and he ranks third on the Hurricanes in goals and points. Among Carolina forwards, he is also third in ice time behind Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.
From Winnipeg To Carolina
The contrast with his time in Winnipeg is sharp. In Game 6 of the second round last season against the Dallas Stars, he played 14:48 of ice time while the Jets lost 2-1 in overtime, and Mason Appleton, Alex Iafallo, Vladislav Namestnikov and Adam Lowry all logged more time.
Rod Brind’Amour summed up Ehlers’ night after Game 5: “He always seems to find a way to contribute, and that’s a good mark on him,” Carolina now has a forward producing at the level the final has demanded, and Ehlers has turned a heavier role into one of the series’ most reliable scoring lines.
