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

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

Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup Final Gameday Preview: Game 1 at Hurricanes

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

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

In 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 all-time head-to-head matchup has been much tighter, as the Golden Knights are 7-7-2 against the Hurricanes.

Game 1 Lineup (Subject to Change)

• 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 in plus/minus (plus-12). Dorofeyev and Howden are tied for the lead in goals with 10 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 these playoffs, posting a 2.22 goals-against average (GAA) and a .924 save percentage (SV%).

Storyline #1- Misfits Reunite

When the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season in 2018, their core group (Karlsson, Reilly Smith, McNabb, Theodore, Johnathan Marchessault, and William Carrier) was nicknamed the “Golden Misfits,” as a nod to the fact they were acquired in the expansion draft, and many of the “misfits” won the Stanley Cup with the team in 2023.

Karlsson, Smith, McNabb, and Theodore are still with 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 vying for his second championship with the Hurricanes, although he has not enjoyed the same success he had in Vegas.

Storyline #2- Hart Mimicking His Backup

Adin Hill was an unexpected hero during the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup run, posting a .932 SV% in 16 playoff games. He wasn’t the team’s 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 did not return to the team until December, after nearly a two-year absence, and did not play in as many games as Akira Schmid or Hill. However, after John Tortorella was hired as the head coach at the end of March, Hart’s game took off, and the team has not looked back.

After helping shut down the Avalanche’s dangerous offense in Round 3, Hart will look to do the same against the Hurricanes in the Final. If he can do it, he will join Hill as an unexpected goalie to bring the Cup to Vegas.

Storyline #3- Marner vs. the Hurricanes

If the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup, Marner is the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Marner’s remarkable first season and postseason in Vegas have been the subject of many discussions, 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 rejected the trade for personal reasons and remained in Toronto until he was moved for Nicolas Roy on July 1 and signed a long-term deal with the Golden Knights. We’ll see how many Hurricanes fans remember this when Game 1 gets underway in Raleigh tonight.

How to Watch Game 1

Game 1 starts at 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time, but be sure to tune in earlier for pregame coverage. The game can be seen on ABC, but other sports outlets will likely be carrying coverage as well heading into the opening game. Be sure to check with The Hockey Writers for Stanley Cup Final-related coverage.