All that stands between the Golden Knights and their second Stanley Cup in franchise history is the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Knights advanced to this point by sweeping the best team in the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche.
Game 1 of the best-of-seven will take place on Tuesday night in Raleigh with the Knights entering as underdogs for the second-consecutive round.
Can they pull another upset?
Here are predictions from our reporters and experts:
Danny Webster, Knights beat reporter
I have a feeling the under is going to hit in the majority of these games. It wouldn’t be surprising if goaltending decides this series. It wouldn’t be a shock if blocked shots found a way to make a difference along the way. It’s also going to be a fun series. This is the kind of series you want to see in a championship round. As for who wins? The biggest lesson learned last round is to stop doubting the Knights. Sure, Colorado in 7 sounded great in theory. But to doubt this group is to do so at your own peril, especially against a Carolina team that will find this Vegas team to be a wagon. Get ready for another parade at Toshiba Plaza. Knights in 6
Ed Graney, columnist
Weird. So much about the first three rounds for the Golden Knights was how they would counter the speed of opponents. Seemed to do fine there. Now, it’s about dealing with the constant checking of the Hurricanes. Carolina plays strictly a north-south game, very direct in how they attack. You also better get a lead on the Hurricanes, who will shut things down with an advantage. It will be interesting to see the shot volume Vegas will produce. It seems to be better at most spots than Carolina. Which goalie will step up more – Carter Hart or Frederik Andersen? That could be the key to all of this. Knights in 6
Bill Bradley, sports editor
Each round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, it seemed as if the Golden Knights were overmatched, from a slight edge vs. the Anaheim Ducks to a big deficit vs. the Colorado Avalanche. Heck, who would have thought that their biggest competition was the former Phoenix Coyotes. The Final seems just as mirky. But there’s a certain air of confidence that comes with sweeping your opponent during the regular season. In the spirit of the last two Knights Final series were decided by a 4-1 margin … Knights in 5
David Schoen, sports producer
There are two potential scenarios I can see playing out. One is the Golden Knights defensemen struggle to break out the puck against Carolina’s relentless forecheck, allowing the Hurricanes to set up shop in the offensive zone and dominate puck possession. The other is the Knights are able to play through the pressure and capitalize on the odd-man rushes they’re bound to create. It should be a tight series, but the Knights’ have more postseason experience and high-end skill, which should make the difference. Knights in 6
Adam Hill, columnist and reporter
This will be a very different series from those the Knights have played to reach this point. They have had to deal with a great deal of speed, which is something they were able to handle very well. Carolina has a ton of talent on the ice, but the Hurricanes are an elite defensive squad that plays with a different level of physicality and have been getting great goaltending. Expect goals to be at a premium in this series. This is where the Knights experience can really come into play. They know how to play different styles and different brands of hockey and won’t back down. Carolina is really good, though. It’s going to be a long series and several games will go to overtime. Maybe even all the way down to the final game. Hurricanes in 7
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
