Carolina's Defense Is Not Going to Lose This Final

Here's the thing: the Hurricanes are having an impressive postseason.

That number does not get enough attention.

The last team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with one or fewer losses was a notable team from the past. And everyone remembers what happened after that.

Carolina is not just winning. It is suffocating teams. Under Rod Brind'Amour, the Hurricanes have allowed just a few power-play goals all postseason. The penalty kill is not a strength for this team. It is a wall.

Brind'Amour Chases What He Already Won

What does he know that a first-time head coach does not?

He knows what it feels like to lift that Cup in that arena, in that city. That matters in a series where the margins are going to be thin.

On the Vegas bench, John Tortorella has a significant gap between Cup Final appearances. Since winning with Tampa Bay in the early 2000s, he took over mid-season after a coaching change. Just a team and a mandate. And somehow he got them here.

The Goalies Nobody Expected

The matchup in net is honestly strange when you think about it.

Frederik Andersen leads all playoff goalies with impressive statistics. He has been a key player for the Hurricanes. He split time during the regular season with another goalie. He was not supposed to be this. Nobody was.

Carter Hart played a limited number of regular-season games. He has also performed well in the playoffs. Those are not backup numbers.

Those are elite numbers.

Two goalies who were not supposed to carry a Final are now the reason either team wins it.

The team that gets better goaltending probably wins this series. That is not a hot take. Just math.

What to Watch in Game 1

Carolina finished significantly ahead of Vegas in the regular season. The Hurricanes were dominant. Vegas was good enough to get in and dangerous enough to knock off a strong opponent in a series. The Golden Knights had a notable performance against Carolina earlier in the season.

They have the formula.

But this is the Final.

Carolina's defense is not going to beat itself. Vegas has multiple players who can change a game. And the power play can keep them in any single contest.

Game 1 is coming up soon. The smart money is on a close one. The smart money is also on Carolina finding a way. But hockey has a way of making the smart money look foolish.

That is the whole point.