Hurricanes, Golden Knights Open 2026 Stanley Cup Final Tuesday as Carolina Enters 12-1
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · May 31
Hurricanes, Golden Knights Open 2026 Stanley Cup Final Tuesday as Carolina Enters 12-1
14 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · May 31
Tuesday’s Game 1 in Raleigh opens a Stanley Cup Final matching Carolina’s first trip since its 2006 title against Vegas’ first since winning in 2023.
Carolina reached the final with a 12-1 playoff record—the best mark entering the championship round since the NHL adopted four best-of-seven rounds in 1987—behind Frederik Andersen’s 1.41 goals-against average and three shutouts.
Vegas arrives after sweeping Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado and has gone 19-4-1 since John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy in late March, with Mitchell Marner’s 21 points leading all postseason scorers.
Rod Brind'Amour is four wins from becoming the seventh person to win the Stanley Cup as both a player and head coach with the same franchise, a feat last achieved in 1956.
Sportsbooks list Carolina as a slight favorite at about -150, even though Vegas won both regular-season meetings and brings 11 players from its 2023 championship roster.
Can Carolina’s dominant 12-1 playoff record overcome the championship experience of the Vegas Golden Knights?
Which coach’s narrative will prevail: Rod Brind’Amour’s historic quest or John Tortorella’s mid-season turnaround?