If you think about it, the two teams in this Stanley Cup Final are perfect foils of each other.
At one end of the ice, you have a team that has known nothing but heartbreak and humiliation for two decades. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes went on to make the playoffs just once over the next 12 years. They’ve qualified for the postseason in each of the last eight seasons, but in each one, they’ve suffered the pain of never enough.
At the other end of the ice, you have a team that has enjoyed unparalleled success before celebrating its tenth birthday. The Vegas Golden Knights have missed the playoffs just once in their nine-year history and boast the most postseason wins since 2018. This is their third trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and they have already won it once.
These teams are opposites in every single way. The Hurricanes prioritize drafting and developing prospects; the Golden Knights prefer to use theirs as trade bait. The Hurricanes have been accused of being afraid to take the big swing; the Golden Knights have earned a reputation as a team that does the exact opposite.
And yet, they are both the same where it matters most: they are both in search of their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Down 3-2 in the series, the Golden Knights sit just one loss from their Stanley Cup dreams coming to an end. This is the first time they have faced elimination this postseason. However, this is a group that refuses to go gently into that good night. If they go down, they’ll go down swinging.
This Golden Knights team is stacked with players who have won before; the Hurricanes claim just two Stanley Cup Champions. The Golden Knights hope that their veteran locker room will give them an edge over a Hurricanes team that is, for the most part, fairly new to this stage.
“I think it definitely helps,” said forward Mitch Marner. “I mean, I think a lot of guys in this room have played some massive games throughout their lifetime. So, you lean on that to stay calm, stay in the moment.”
Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon mentioned Brayden McNabb, Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Marner as veteran players who are leading the way.
“Leaning on those guys kind of comes naturally,” Lauzon said. “You don’t think about leaning on those guys, but when you’re out there, they make plays that change momentum during the game and boost our confidence within the group. I think for an elimination game, [they offer] something that’s really important for our group to have.”