Former longtime Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers scores twice in opening 12 minutes of Stanley Cup Final, matching his total from his first 25 career playoff games in Winnipeg.
In a Stanley Cup Final that was expected to be a tightly contested battle between two evenly matched teams, the Carolina Hurricanes sent a message early and emphatically Tuesday night, with their prized offseason acquisition doing the damage before most fans had even settled into their seats.
Just 25 seconds into Game 1, Ehlers wired a wrist shot over the pad of Golden Knights netminder Carter Hart, giving Carolina the earliest of leads and setting the tone for what turned into a dominant opening period. It was a stunning moment, the kind that shifts momentum before a series even finds its footing.
Then he did it again. Minutes later, Ehlers pounced on a sloppy Vegas turnover, burst in alone on a breakaway, and beat Hart a second time. Two goals in the first 12 minutes of his Stanley Cup Final debut.
The former ninth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft spent a decade in Winnipeg, quietly racking up 520 points and becoming one of the most skilled forwards in franchise history. But meaningful playoff hockey largely eluded him there.
This past offseason he made the decision to leave, seeking a change of scenery and a chance to play a more meaningful role on a contender. Carolina gave him exactly that. He responded with 71 points in 82 regular season games, the best offensive campaign of his career, and carried that form into the playoffs with nine points in 12 games before Tuesday's heroics.
Vegas entered this Final having swept the Presidents' Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche in four games, and made every hockey fan expect this year's finals to be a close one.
For Jets fans watching from home, the performance will sting in a particular way. The player they watched develop over ten seasons, the one they cheered through years of early exits, is now on the biggest stage in hockey and absolutely delivering. Tuesday night belonged to Nikolaj Ehlers, and Carolina is just getting started.
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