Carolina Hurricanes win Game 6, raise Stanley Cup in Vegas - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — The Carolina Hurricanes spent the first part of the Stanley Cup Final surviving, finding ways to overcome deficits and play a high-scoring game that didn't fit the club's typical style.

But when it came down to doing what it takes to win the Cup, the Hurricanes' defense put its stamp on this series, shutting down the Vegas Golden Knights and not letting up.

The Hurricanes held Vegas to five total goals in Games 4 and 5 and used a suffocating defense in a 3-0 shutout in Sunday night's clinching Game 6 to win their first championship in 20 years.

«That's a lot of years,» said Carolina center Jordan Staal, who received the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. «It's amazing. This is something I've been going after ever since we got the first one. You want to win it again and again and again. What a feeling, what a battle. The boys were grinding today, my goodness. So many individual efforts just to keep the puck out of our net. It was an amazing ride. I'm just so proud of these guys.»

Brandon Bussi, whose entrance late into Game 3 helped turn around the series for Carolina, recorded his first career playoff shutout, stopping 22 shots. Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist, and Taylor Hall scored just 3:47 into the game to set the tone. Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-net goal.

«It's special, it's been a special year,» Bussi told ESPN's Emily Kaplan on the ice before the Cup ceremony. «It's been an honor to be able to do it with this group. Everyone deserves it so much.»

Hall played for six NHL franchises before landing in Carolina and securing his first Stanley Cup title.

«It's incredible. I've been kind of everywhere, and I got here and I really felt at home in a few days,» Hall told ESPN. «That's a credit to Rod