Tortorella: Staal is 'killing us in front of the net'

The Vegas Golden Knights haven't found an answer for Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal so far in the Stanley Cup Final.

"He's killing us in front of the net, Staal," Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella told reporters after Carolina's 5-3 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday. "We've gotta do a better job around the blue (paint)."

Staal scored twice in Game 4 and has a series-leading five goals. He's done most of his damage around the front of the net.

His goal in Game 1 was a wrister from the slot, but his tallies in Games 2 and 3 were both deflections in front of the net. For his first goal of Game 4, he outmuscled Jeremy Lauzon on the power play to bang home a rebound.

For his second goal Tuesday, which stood as the winner, he was left all alone in front. He was able to shovel the puck into the net with a great diving effort even after his feet got tangled.

"He's a big man, he's a good player," Tortorella said of the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Staal. "That's where he lives. We just gotta do a better job. To me, it's not self-inflicted, it's just: We've gotta be stronger and we've gotta win that battle."

Staal, 37, is the third-oldest player to register a multi-goal game in the Stanley Cup Final, trailing only Mark Recchi (43) and Igor Larionov (41).

Hurricanes teammate Jackson Blake offered high praise for his captain's effort.

"He's a dog, if I'm gonna be honest," Blake said, per North State Journal's Cory Lavalette. "He does everything, and I just think it's how bad he wants to win. We all want to win so bad, but he's playing like it's his last games right now, that's how good he's playing."