RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nineteen players have registered a point for the Carolina Hurricanes during their nearly perfect playoff run. The Vegas Golden Knights have gotten at least one from 22 players on their way to the Stanley Cup Final.
Carolina has 12 different goal-scorers. Vegas has 15.
“They’re deep, we’re deep, so it’ll be a good matchup,” Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb said.
A matchup so close on paper that the Hurricanes are a very slight favorite. They’ve won 12 of 13 games through three rounds and have home-ice advantage.
But after NHL-best Colorado got swept by Vegas, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said he and his team “ran into a buzzsaw.” The Western Conference Final was one-sided with the Golden Knights dominating.
“They dismantled Colorado,” player-turned-ESPN analyst Ray Ferraro said. “I don’t know if there’s ever such a thing as perfect, but whatever next door to perfect was, that’s how they played in that series. It’s what they are. This is their team, and they’re healthy.”
So are the Hurricanes, which could lead to an epic series.
When is the Stanley Cup Final?
Games 1 and 2 are Tuesday and Thursday night in Raleigh, where the fanbase full of Caniacs has been waiting years for the team’s first trip to the final since 2006. Carolina won it all that year, with now-coach Rod Brind’Amour as captain.
Games 3 and 4 are Saturday night and June 9 at the arena on the Las Vegas Strip that has become known as the Fortress. The Golden Knights hoisted the Cup on home ice there three years ago.
If necessary, Game 5 is June 11 at Carolina and Game 6 is June 14 at Vegas. If a Game 7 is required, at Carolina, it would be June 17.
Every game will air in the U.S. on ABC and in Canada in English on CBC and Sportsnet and in French on TVA Sports.
Who are the stars to watch?
With Vegas, Mitch Marner has gone further in the playoffs than ever before in his NHL career, which included only first- and second-round exits during nine years in Toronto. Marner leads all scorers with 21 points.
Not far behind is Jack Eichel with 18, three years removed from playing a big role in the Golden Knights win the Cup. And he’s just as good at keeping the puck out of his team’s net.
“Jack Eichel might be the best 200-foot center in the game right now,” 2003 Cup champion Mike Rupp said.
Vegas has gotten timely saves from Carter Hart, especially in the West final when he stopped 118 of the 125 shots he faced. Carolina has ridden goaltender Frederik Andersen to this point, counting on him to come up big on quality chances while outshooting opponents.
“He’s so strong mentally,” said retired goalie Cory Schneider, who like Rupp now is with NHL Network. “He’s able to play games where he only sees eight or nine shots and make the save he has to make. Some goalies really struggle with your team possessing the puck all game and now you get that breakaway and you’ve got to find a way to make a save.”
Who are the X-factors in the Cup final?
The Hurricanes’ best players during the regular season were Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov. Their second line of Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake has led them here as their leading scorers.
“Lots of times, coaches throw three names together and it looks like it’s going to work and it doesn’t,” Ferraro said. “Stankoven and Blake and Hall, they fit.”
For Vegas, the standout scoring stars of the playoffs have been Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev, with 10 goals apiece. The Golden Knights also have three players — Marner, captain Mark Stone and defenseman Shea Theodore — who lost in the Olympic final with Canada. Jarvis was also on that team.
Eichel, teammate Noah Hanifin and Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin have the chance to pull off the gold medal-Stanley Cup double after winning in Milan with the U.S.
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AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Mark Anderson in Vegas contributed to this report.
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