After a grueling 82-game regular season that saw 16 teams move on to compete for the Stanley Cup, just two teams remain: the Vegas Golden Knights from the West and the Carolina Hurricanes from the East.
The Golden Knights have been in existence for nine seasons. For the third time in those nine seasons, they have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, where they will compete for the most elusive trophy in all of sports. Vegas is 1-1 in this position after falling to the Washington Captials in five games in 2018 and defeating the Panthers in five games in 2023.
The Carolilna Hurricanes are also making their third Final appearance since entering the league in 1997; they, too, lost the first time around (2002 against Detroit) but won the second back in 2006, when current head coach Rod Brind’Amour was the captain of the Canes as they defeated the Oilers in seven games.
These two clubs are hungry for another ring, and both enter the final round of the playoffs with plenty of momentum.
The Hurricanes swept their opponents in the first two rounds, ousting the Senators and Flyers in four games each, before downing the Canadiens in five games. They enter this matchup with just one loss, which is indicative of how dominant they have been this postseason. That loss came in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final after Carolina had 11 days off. Other than that, the Canes have been perfect.
The Golden Knights (12-4) required six games to take care of Utah and Anaheim before pulling off a stunning four-game sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche. They have gotten better in each round and enter the Final firing on all cylinders.
Both clubs have relied on a dominant penalty kill, strong goaltending, structured defensive play and depth scoring to get to this point.
These franchises have never met in the playoffs. Vegas won both meetings earlier this season, but those games took place back in October.
Much has changed since then.
The Golden Knights are no strangers to making headlines, though general manager Kelly McCrimmon’s decision to fire Bruce Cassidy and replace him with John Tortorella with just eight games remaining in the regular season was one of the more surprising moves by a franchise that never shies away from pushing the limits.
It has proven to be a brilliant call, even if Tortorella hasn’t made many changes. Vegas went 7-0-1 to close out the regular season and clinch the “pillowfight” division before storming to the Stanley Cup Final.
The two division winners will go head-to-head starting tonight in Game 1 in Carolina. The Golden Knights will have their hands full against a very stingy opponent, but this should be a hard-fought series between two teams battling for the ultimate glory.
By the numbers
Leading scorers
Vegas: Marner (7-14—21), Eichel (2-16—18), Dorofeyev (10-4—14), Howden (10-2—12)
Carolina: Hall (5-11—16), Blake (5-10—15), Stankoven (9-3—12), Ehlers (4-5—9), Jarvis (3-5—8)
Goals For (NHL rank)
Vegas: 3.63 (2nd)
Carolina: 3.23 (7th)
Goals Against (NHL rank)
Vegas: 2.38 (3rd)
Carolina: 1.62 (1st)
Shots For (NHL rank)
Vegas: 27.0 (11th)
Carolina: 33.7 (1st)
Shots Against (NHL rank)
Vegas: 29.8 (8th)
Carolina: 22.3 (2nd)
Power play (NHL rank)
Vegas: 23.9 percent (4th)
Carolina: 12.5 percent (13th)
Penalty kill (NHL rank)
Vegas: 87.5 percent (5th)
Carolina: 92.5 percent (2nd)
Goalie matchup
Frederik Andersen has been sensational for the Carolina Hurricanes. The 37-year-old is playing the best hockey of his career, and he leads all goalies in goals-against average (1.41) and shutouts (3). He is third in save percentage (.931), and he is second in goals saved above expected with 11.5, per Money Puck.
He played in both matchups against the Golden Knights during the regular season. Despite losing both, Andersen made outstanding saves in both contests.
Andersen’s more recent numbers are slightly skewed from a rough first period in Game 1 against Montreal in which he gave up four goals. However, he has been lights-out this postseason, and he quieted his doubters by bouncing back with four straight wins in that series.
But the Golden Knights have gotten excellent goaltending, particularly as the postseason has progressed. Carter Hart returned from injury near the end of the regular season and was reunited with his former bench boss when Tortorella was hired. Hart is playing up to his potential, and he is thriving behind Vegas’ commitment to defense.
It’s just this second postseason run, but he has been fantastic. In fact, he went 4-0 in the Western Conference Final, recording a 1.75 goals-against average and .944 save percentage against the league-best Avalanche, shutting down elite superstar Nathan MacKinnon and ending Colorado’s season in shocking fashion. He is fourth in the NHL in goals saved above expected with 7.7, according to MoneyPuck.
In Hart’s last 10 starts, he has recorded a 1.90 goals-against average and .939 save percentage. He has been everything Vegas needed, and he’s a huge reason why the Golden Knights are where they are.
Both goalies will be factors, with Hart expected to face more shots considering Carolina averages 33.7 per game (most in the NHL) and yields the second-fewest per game (22.3).
But low shot totals aren’t new for Vegas, as the Golden Knights have averaged 27 per game throughout the postseason, good for 11th overall.
Special teams breakdown
Power play
The Golden Knights have the clear advantage on the power play, with the fourth-best conversion rate in the postseason at 23.9 percent. The Golden Knights have potted 11 goals on 46 opportunities on the man-advantage, and it has been a consistnet contributer offensively.
The Hurricanes have one of the worst power plays in the playoffs, which looked particularly flat in the third round against Montreal. Carolina is clicking at just 12.5 percent on the power play, scoring seven times on 56 tries and ranking 13th out of 16 playoff teams.
The Hurricanes have six players who have found twine with the extra man, including Logan Stankoven, who leads the way with two goals, as well as Jordan Staal, Shayne Gostisbehere, Nikolaj Ehlers, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov.
For the Golden Knights, Mark Stone and Pavel Dorofeyev both have four power-play strikes, while Mitch Marner has two and Shea Theodore has one.
If the Golden Knights can find a way to win the special-teams battle, that could be significant. It will be easier said than done, however, with both teams excelling on the penalty kill.
Penalty kill
Both teams have been dominant on the penalty kill.
For Carolina, relentless and aggressive pressure gives the opponent minimal space and reaction time, which leads to countless clears and mounting frustration. It’s part of the team’s overall high-energy defensive strategy, but it’s particularly effective on special teams, where Carolina has killed off 49 of 53 of its opponents’ chances, scoring one shorthanded goal. It adds up to a 92.5 percent efficacy rate, which is good for second overall in the playoffs.
The Golden Knights have relied heavily on their consistent penalty kill, which really went to work against an Anaheim power play that operated at 50 percent in the previous round. That carried over into the third round against the Avalanche, and it’s going to be necessary to prevent Carolina from waking up on the man advantage.
Vegas enters the matchup against the Canes with an 87.5 percent kill rate after allowing six goals on 48 opportunities. The Golden Knights also have four shorthanded tallies this postseason, with Brett Howden leading the league with three such markers and Brayden McNabb accounting for the fourth. Defenseman Jalen Chatfield has the only shortie for Carolina.
Keys to the series
Patience
Much like against Colorado, the Golden Knights will have to remain patient without the puck. Carolina is the premier possession hockey club and has controlled play and limited opponents’ chances and shots on a nightly basis, year after year. They certainly have done so in these playoffs with a league-high 60.7 percent expected goal share, per Natural Stat Trick. In fact, Carolina is at the top of the rankings in almost every possession category.
The Golden Knights played with excellent patience against the Avalanche, containing them defensively and waiting for opportunities to strike offensively. Vegas was extremely opportunistic, especially earlier on in the series. They will need to do the same against Carolina, making the Hurricanes pay for mistakes and trying to take advantage whenever possible. The Hurricanes don’t have the same game-breaking skill as the Avalanche, but they also have a much better defensive game and have gotten stronger goaltending. The Golden Knights will need to be diligent and methodical, and patience will be a key asset in a tough matchup.
Depth
For the Hurricanes, the top line of Aho, Seth Jarvis and Svechnikov has been relatively quiet, though the trio was more noticeable against Montreal. Instead, it has been the second line of Taylor Hall, Stankoven and Jackson Blake that has done the majority of the damage. The Canes’ second line has a combined 19 goals and 43 points in 13 games. Stankoven leads the team with nine goals, and the 34-year-old Hall has a team-high 16 points as he has turned the clock back with a tremendous playoff showing. They’ve been outstanding, and they’ve scored big goals early in games to give their team momentum and a cushion.
The Golden Knights will need to limit that line’s effectiveness and slow them down. That line has killed opponents’ throughout the playoffs, but the Golden Knights must find a way to limit their dominance. At the same time, all four Carolina lines are capable of making Vegas pay, with Ehlers starting to produce alongside two of Carolina’s best defensive forwards. The fourth line’s relentless forecheck has given opponents fits and allowed the top-nine to remain fresh. William Carrier is sure to be particularly motivated against his former team, and Eric Robinson, who has flown somewhat under the radar, has consistently been a threat around the net throughout the postseason. K’Andre Miller is playing with a level of confidence he never consistently displayed in his time with the Rangers. He leads Hurricanes blueliners with eight points (all assists) and has been excellent on the back end.
Depth scoring will be a pivotal factor for both teams, but it’s a battle the Golden Knights will need to win. The Golden Knights have a deeper forward group, with more top-end elite talent with the likes of Jack Eichel, Marner, Stone, etc. Marner was quiet against Colorado, recording three points in four games. However, he came alive in the Anaheim series, and his league-leading 21 points have helped him set fire to the “playoff choke artist” label he earned from his time in Toronto.
Having Stone and Tomas Hertl on the third line is a luxury for Vegas, and McCrimmon made sure to put together a fourth line at the deadline, which has been another important component of Vegas’ success. Having a fourth line that can play lunch pail hockey while also producing has been a significant upgrade from recent seasons.
Vegas has the two leading scorers in the playoffs (Marner with 21 points, Eichel with 18) and the top two goal-scorers (Dorofeyev and Howden, who both have 10). Vegas has more players with game-breaking ability, but the Hurricanes are a team that wins by committee. Either way, depth could decide the series.
Both teams will roll four lines, and there won’t be any easy matchups or any chances to sit back. Taking shifts off is not an option in the Stanley Cup Final, and it will be especially costly in this matchup.
Goaltending
With two teams fully committed to defense, this series could come down to goaltending.
Andersen is injury-prone and has never been able to sustain this level of play this deep into the playoffs, which has been a knock on him throughout his tenure in Carolina. He’s also playing with a heavy heart after losing friend and agent Claude Lemieux. Both factors leave him especially determined to finish the job. Now he has a chance to rewrite the narrative, and he is Carolina’s leading candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Hart signed a two-year contract with Vegas after a lengthy absence from the league stemming from his involvement in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial. Though acquitted, Hart continues to face extensive vitriol from the hockey community. He has managed to remain focused. This is just his second postseason run, and he is four wins away from hoisting his first Stanley Cup. The team has avoided discussing his past, though it will keep him from any Conn Smythe consideration regardless of his performance. That being said, Hart will need to be at his best to give his teammates time to solve Carolina’s unyielding pressure and find a way to beat Andersen.
Injury report
Both teams are healthy going into the series, with rugged defenseman Jeremy Lauzon expected to return to the Vegas lineup for Game 1.
Projected lineups
Golden Knights
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Tomas Hertl — Colton Sissons — Mark Stone
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Jeremy Lauzon — Dylan Coghlan
Carter Hart
Adin Hill
Hurricanes
Andrei Svechnikov — Sebastian Aho — Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall — Logan Stankoven — Jackson Blake
Nikoloj Ehlers — Jordan Staal — Jordan Martinook
William Carrier — Mark Jankowski — Eric Robinson
Jaccob Slavin — Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller — Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere — Alexander Nikishin
Frederik Andersen
Brandon Bussi
How to watch
Game 1: Golden Knights at Hurricanes | Tuesday, June 2 at 5 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 2: Golden Knights at Hurricanes | Thursday, June 4 at 5 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 3: Hurricanes at Golden Knights | Saturday, June 6 at 5 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 4: Hurricanes at Golden Knights | Tuesday, June 9 at 5 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 5*: Golden Knights at Hurricanes | Thursday, June 11 at 5 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 6*: Hurricanes at Golden Knights | Sunday, June 14 at 5 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 7*: Golden Knights at Hurricanes | Wednesday, June 17 at 5 p.m. PT (ABC)
*If necessary
Statistics courtesy of NHL.com, Natural Stat Trick and Money Puck.
Photo via The Golden Knights (Oct. 28, 2025)