3 Hurricanes bold predictions for Stanley Cup Final vs. Golden Knights

The Carolina Hurricanes got over a huge hurdle when they blasted the Montreal Canadiens out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Final. After a brief scare following their 6-2 loss in Game 1 of the series, the Hurricanes reeled off four consecutive victories and earned a spot in the Stanley Cup Final against the surprising Vegas Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights were barely in a playoff position just a few weeks before the end of the season. They fired head coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with John Tortorella in late March. The move appeared to be inspired by a full dose of panic by the team, but the team has responded with playoff victories over the Utah Mammoth, Anaheim Ducks and an inexplicable sweep of the Presidents Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

The Hurricanes come into this series as the minus-155 favorites to win the Stanley Cup, and that is justified. They had the best regular-season record in the Eastern Conference. They have been even better in the postseason. They swept the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers before dispatching the Habs in five games.

The Hurricanes have won because they have been playing brilliant fundamental hockey. This is a team that does not have superstars. Taylor Hall, Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin are all good players, but none of them are superstars on the level of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Jack Hughes, Nikita Kucherov and Connor McDavid.

However, the Hurricanes play with eye-catching speed and a relentless forechecking game. They contest every pass out of the their own zone. Defensemen who attempt to carry the puck into the Carolina end struggle to succeed. This is due to the system that head coach Rod Brind’Amour has implemented — and perfected.

Hall will continue to lead the Hurricanes in scoring

Taylor Hall has gone through a career renaissance with the Hurricanes. After a decent regular season, he has returned to star status in the postseason.

Hall is the Hurricanes’ leading scorer in the playoffs with 5 goals and 11 assists, and he has been playing with a ferocity that he has rarely displayed since he was the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft in 2010. Hall has had a good career since he came into the league with the Edmonton Oilers and has since played for six other teams, but he has never looked like the superstar that many expected him to be when he was a dazzling junior.

However, Hall is flying in the offensive zone, scoring in the dirty areas and making deft plays that allow linemates Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake to put the puck in the net. Those three comprise Carolina’s No. 2 line, but that trio has been the team’s best in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Hall scored 18 goals and 30 assists in the regular season. He clearly helped the Hurricanes, but he gave little indication that he would play like a star in the playoffs. He understands that his team has finally earned a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals and he is not going to waste this opportunity.

Hall will continue to drive the offense against the VGK and he will be the team’s leading scorer in the final round of the postseason.

Andersen will get tested by the Golden Knights

Much like Hall, Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen has been sensational in the playoffs. He has exceeded his regular-season performance by a wide margin.

Andersen basically split the regular-season goaltending duties with Brandon Bussi. Andersen played 35 games and had a ho-hum 16-14-5 record along with a 3.05 goals against average and an .874 save percentage. He has been brilliant in the playoffs with a 12-1 record, a 1.41 GAA and a .931 save percentage.

It has been one of the great goaltending performances in the modern era (post-1966). Andersen’s career playoff numbers have been solid, but he has taken it to a new level this year.

He will get tested by Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Mitch Marner in the Stanley Cup Final. The VGK has the firepower and the confidence to take it hard to the Hurricanes and push them to the limit.

Andersen has to come through with his best hockey in this round. Andersen won’t be able to maintain his GAA or his save percentage at the superstar levels they have been at to this point, but he will make the big saves when it counts.

Hurricanes will emerge victorious with Stanley Cup

The Hurricanes have had a nearly pristine run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs through the first three rounds. After years of falling short, Brind’Amour has seen his team play mistake-free hockey.

They will line up in the Stanley Cup Final against a team with excellent individual talent, tremendous momentum and a belief that they are the best team. The Hurricanes may get knocked down and suffer a few cuts in this series. They will not cruise to the Stanley Cup.

This series will go seven games and the Hurricanes will not let the opportunity slip through their grasp. Carolina will win its first Stanley Cup since 2006 — the second in franchise history — as they play with a relentlessness that will allow them to skate around the Lenovo Center in Raleigh in front of their appreciative fans with the Stanley Cup raised high overhead.

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