Jordan Staal Lifts Hurricanes to 5-3 Game 4 Win as Stanley Cup Final Evens 2-2

Q: Is Jordan Staal's historic run the greatest late-career performance in Stanley Cup Final history?

Not yet — but it is already one of the most remarkable late-career Stanley Cup Final runs on record. The case for Jordan Staal is strong. At 37, in his 20th NHL season, he has scored in each of the first four games of the 2026 Final and has five goals in the series. That made him the first player since Mike Bossy in 1982 to score in the first four games of a Final, and the oldest player ever to do it. He is not just finishing chances, either: Carolina is using him in a heavy two-way role against top competition, and he has dominated faceoffs against Jack Eichel while remaining a shutdown center. What keeps this from being an easy “greatest ever” verdict is the historical standard. The Stanley Cup Final has seen towering late-career performances from all-time greats, and the material here does not provide a full historical comparison across eras, ages and impact. Bossy’s 1982 run came during a dynasty, and other veteran stars have delivered Cup-clinching or series-defining performances that still carry more overall weight. Still, Staal’s run is exceptional because of the combination of age, role and production. He is not a sheltered scorer chasing one hot streak; he is Carolina’s captain, a defensive matchup center, and now the series’ most decisive goal-scorer. If he sustains this through Game 5 and beyond — especially if Carolina wins the Cup and he remains the driving force — the argument for this being the greatest late-career Final performance will become much stronger.

3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 9

Jordan Staal scored twice, including a sprawling backhand winner with 13:29 left in the third, to give Carolina a 5-3 victory over Vegas in Game 4.
The win leveled the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final at 2-2 after Carolina entered the night trailing the series and needing a response on the road.
Staal now has 5 goals in the series, becoming the first player since Mike Bossy in 1982 to score in each of the final's first 4 games.
The 20-year veteran also matched the second-longest playoff goal streak in Hurricanes franchise history, while the series shifts back to Carolina for Game 5 on Thursday.