American sports leagues live by different calendars. If the MLB season is gradually approaching its equator, and the NFL teams are still in the offseason, then in the NBA and NHL the most important moment of the year has arrived – the final series.
The Vegas Golden Knights from the West and the Carolina Hurricanes from the East will compete for the 2026 Stanley Cup.
We tell what trump cards the teams have in the main series of the season, highlight the key figures of the final and what are the strengths and weaknesses of both teams.
The way to the final
Carolina’s appearance in the finals hardly surprised anyone. Young Montreal managed to catch only the first match of the series, after which the Hurricanes won four straight meetings. The total goal difference in these matches was 16:5 in favor of Rod Brindamor’s team.
The loss to the Canadiens remained the only one for Carolina on the way to the finals, which became a new record NHL for fewest losses before a season-defining series.
Vegas had a much more difficult path. After a not very stable regular season, the “Knights” successively knocked out Utah (4:2), Anaheim (4:2), and the confrontation with Colorado was decisive.
Representatives of the state of Nevada surprised everyone. It is quite rare for a team with less than 40 wins in the regular season to reach the finals. Six clubs in the regular season won more matches, but did not get into the relegation matches.
It was the Avalanche that many considered the main favorite of the Western Conference. The team from Denver had one of the best regular seasons in its history, scoring 121 points (a record) and shooting 302 (only three times better) shots.
However, Vegas showed disciplined and pragmatic hockey. John Tortorella’s team worked well without the puck, effectively used their moments, and also took advantage of the opponent’s personnel problems.
A serious factor was the absence of Cale Makar in the first three matches of the series. The two-time James Norris Trophy winner and 2022 playoff MVP is a system-building player for Colorado’s offensive model.
An equally important reason for the Avalanche’s failure was the low performance of Nathan McKinnon. In the regular season, the Canadian forward averaged 1.59 points per game (53 goals and 74 assists in 80 games), while he had just two assists in the series with Vegas.
The coaching duel should be noted separately. Tortorella perfectly prepared his team for each opponent and once again confirmed his status as a veteran of the opinion of the coaching staff. Instead, Jared Bednar did not find an effective plan after the loss of Makar, and it was not possible to rebuild Colorado’s offensive connections.
Goalkeeper duel
Both teams can be satisfied with the performance of their goalkeepers in the current playoffs.
Carter Hart and Frederik Andersen are having one of the best postseasons of their careers.
For the Canadian goalkeeper of Vegas, this is the most intense playoffs at this level, but he shows stability and confidence in the most important moments of the matches.
Andersen, who is already 36 years old, is playing in his eleventh Stanley Cup, but he has reached the final series for the first time. The Danish goalkeeper has already become one of the most successful goalkeepers in franchise history in playoff games and has eight career shutouts.
Both goalkeepers are in great form. If errors do occur, they are unlikely to be systemic in nature. On paper, neither goalie looks like a potential weak spot for their team.
Key figures of the finale
Mitch Marner became one of the main heroes of the playoffs as part of Vegas. For years in Toronto, he was plagued by playoff failures, but a move to the Golden Knights provided an opportunity to finally compete for the major league trophy.
ESPN
An equally important role is played by Jack Eichel. The center forward is the engine of the “knights” attack, works well in transition phases and constantly creates moments for partners. His 16 assists in 16 playoff games speaks for itself.
Among the defenders, Shi Theodore deserves special attention. He is the only one in the current composition of the team who played in the 2018 finals and has already won the Stanley Cup in 2023. His experience could be extremely valuable at crucial moments in the series.
The strength of Vegas is the depth of the lineup. The team does not depend on one or two performers, actively presses, works a lot on rebounds from the board and creates moments even in situations that do not look dangerous.
Instead, Carolina remains one of the best defensive teams in the league. The Hurricanes have one of the most effective numbers in the minority at 92.5%. Only Boston (95.8%) had a better result, but the Bruins finished their performances in the first round.
However, the strength of the Brindamore team is not only in special forces. Forecheck, backcheck, structured defense and constant pressure on the puck allow Carolina to literally suffocate opponents. It is symbolic that Rod was the captain of Carolina when they managed to win the trophy.
The statistics of missed pucks are indicative. Montreal’s six goals in Game 1 were the most by a Carolina opponent in a single game. In the series against Ottawa and Philadelphia, the team conceded only five goals in 4 meetings.
The leader of the attack remains Sebastian Aho, but the status of the main X-factor can be given to Logan Stankoven. The young forward has a very strong playoff and is capable of deciding the fate of matches at the most unexpected moment.
Tyler Hall will have special motivation. The experienced striker has played more than 1,000 matches in the league, but this is his debut final.
Vegas Golden Knights Predictions
Forwards
Barbashev – Eichel – Dorofeev
Howden – Karlsson – Marner
Hertl – Sissons – Stone
K. Smith – Dowd – Kolesar
Protection
McNabb – Theodore
Hanifin – Andersson
Coghlan – Korchak
Goalkeepers
Garth (Hill)
Carolina Hurricanes Predicted Links
Forwards
Svechnikov – Aho – Jarvis
Hall – Stankoven – Blake
Ehlers – Staal – Martinuk
Carrier – Jankowski – Robinson
Protection
Slavin – Chatfield
Miller – Walker
Hostisbury – Nikishin
Goalkeepers
Andersen (Bussey)
Meetings in the regular championship
The Golden Knights won both games against the Hurricanes in the regular season.
Vegas won 4-1 on October 20. Pucks were thrown by Jack Eichel, Pavel Dorofeev, Ivan Barbashev and William Karlsson.
In the return match on October 28 on the ice in the city of Raleigh, the hosts sought revenge, but suffered an even more painful defeat – 3:6. The real heroes of the meeting were Eichel (3+1) and Marner (0+4).
Of course, the October matches are unlikely to have a direct impact on the final – a lot has changed. In Vegas, for example, John Tortorella came instead of Bruce Cassidy. But the Vegas hockey players definitely have the psychological confidence to face Carolina.
Forecast
The final is always something more than what the statistics promise us. The confirmation was the first game that the “Knights” picked up on the way outscoring as many as 5 pucks.
If Andersen returns to the level of play of the previous rounds, and the first two links of the Hurricanes continue to work as efficiently, it is the club from Raleigh that has a slightly better chance of success.
Forecast: the victory of Carolina in seven matches – 4:3.
Where to watch
NHL matches in Ukraine are available on the international NHL.TV platform and the Setanta Sports service.
