Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final Gameday Preview: Game 1 at Hurricanes – Hockey Writers – Vegas Golden Knights

Heading into Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night, the Vegas Golden Knights, in just their ninth season, are looking for their second championship. On the other hand, the Carolina Hurricanes are looking to win their second championship, 20 seasons after their first.

Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final Game Day Preview: Game 1 at Hurricanes

The Golden Knights reached the final after going 12-4 in the first three rounds. They defeated the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks, both in six games, before sweeping the reigning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.

The Hurricanes reached the finals after going 12-1 in the first three rounds. The Hurricanes swept their first series against the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers before defeating the Montreal Canadiens in five games in the Eastern Conference Final.

During the regular season, the Golden Knights won both games against the Hurricanes, outscoring them 10-4. However, both games came in the early days of the season. The head-to-head matchup of all time was the tightest, as the Golden Knights went 7-7-2 against the Hurricanes.

• 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
• Dylan Coghlan – Kaedan Korczak
• Carter Hart/Adin Hill

Team Leaders

Through 16 playoff games, Marner leads the Golden Knights in points (21) and plus/minus (plus-12). Dorofeyev and Howden are tied for the lead with 10 goals each. Eichel leads the team with 16 assists, while Smith leads with 22 penalty minutes.

Hart is the only Golden Knights goaltender to see action in the playoffs, posting a 2.22 goals-against average (GAA) and a .924 save percentage (SV%).

Storyline #1- The Misfits Reunite

When the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season in 2018, their core group (Karlsson, Reilly Smith, McNabb, Theodore, Johnathan Marchessault, and William Carrier) were named the “Golden Misfits,” as a nod to the fact that they were available in the expansion draft, and the team’s 23 Stanley Cup wins.

Karlsson, Smith, McNabb, and Theodore are still on the team and will try to bring a second championship to Vegas. However, William Carrier has spent the last two seasons in Carolina. He will be fighting for his second championship with the Hurricanes, although he has not yet enjoyed the success he found in Vegas.

Storyline #2- Hart Impersonates His Backup

Adin Hill has been an unlikely hero during the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup run, posting a .932 SV% in 16 playoff games. He was not a starter for most of that season, but he made the most of his opportunity and led the team to the Cup.

Hart has a similar story. He didn’t return to the team until December, after missing nearly two years, and didn’t play as many games as Akira Schmid or Hill. However, after John Tortorella was hired as head coach at the end of March, Hart’s game began, and the team never looked back.

After helping shut down the Avalanche’s dangerous offense in Round 3, Hart will look to do the same for the Hurricanes in the finals. If he does, he’ll join Hill as the unlikely goaltender to bring the trophy to Vegas.

Storyline #3- Marner vs. Hurricanes

If the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup, Marner is the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Marner’s incredible first season and postseason in Vegas has been the subject of much discussion, including negative ones among Toronto Maple Leafs fans after his playoff struggles in Toronto.

But hockey has a sense of humor. The last obstacle between Marner and the Stanley Cup is the team he refused to be traded to last season. At the 2025 Trade Deadline, the Maple Leafs attempted to move the pending unrestricted free agent to the Hurricanes.

However, Marner refused to be traded for personal reasons and stayed in Toronto until he was traded to Nicolas Roy on July 1 and signed a long-term contract with the Golden Knights. We’ll see how many Hurricanes fans remember this when Game 1 starts in Raleigh tonight.

How to watch the game 1

Game 1 starts at 5:00 PM Pacific Time, but be sure to tune in early for pregame coverage. The game can be seen on ABC, but other sports outlets will also carry access to the opening game. Be sure to check it out Hockey Writers about the final installation of the Stanley Cup.