https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/48912313/2026-nhl-playoffs-stanley-cup-final-matchup-preview-vegas-golden-knights-carolina-hurricanes

The stage is officially set for the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.

After a 16-game journey, the Vegas Golden Knights are the kings of the Western Conference, getting to the Cup Final for the third time in their nine years as a franchise.null

The Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes needed fewer games to reach this juncture, with just 13 games required to defeat three challengers.

Read on for intel on the top players and trends for each team courtesy of ESPN Research, along with the full seven-game schedule and more.

Stanley Cup Final

P1 Vegas
Golden Knights

Path to the SCF:

Hurricanes: Defeated Senators in four games, Flyers in four games, Canadiens in five games
Golden Knights: Defeated Mammoth in six games, Ducks in six games, Avalanche in four games

Leading playoff scorers:

Hurricanes: Taylor Hall (5 G, 11 A in 13 GP)
Golden Knights: Mitch Marner (7 G, 14 A in 16 GP)

Goaltenders:

Hurricanes: Frederik Andersen (12 W | 1.44 GAA | .928 SV%)
Golden Knights: Carter Hart (12 W | 2.22 GAA | .924 SV%)

Schedule:

Game 1: Golden Knights at Hurricanes | Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Golden Knights at Hurricanes | Thursday, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 3: Hurricanes at Golden Knights | June 6, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 4: Hurricanes at Golden Knights | June 9, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5*: Golden Knights at Hurricanes | June 11, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 6*: Hurricanes at Golden Knights | June 14, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 7*: Golden Knights at Hurricanes | June 17, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)

Notes on the Hurricanes

This is the Hurricanes’ first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 2006, when they won the title. Current head coach Rod Brind’Amour was the captain on that team.

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The Game 5 win over Montreal was the Hurricanes’ 100th playoff win since relocating from Hartford. Brind’Amour has been involved in 98 of those 100 wins (39 as a player, 59 as head coach).

Carolina is the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with one or zero losses since the Edmonton Oilers in 1983 — who were swept in the Cup Final by the New York Islanders.

The Jackson Blake–Taylor Hall–Logan Stankovenline has 42 out of the Hurricanes’ 121 points (35%) this postseason. That included three points for Hall and two apiece for Blake and Stankoven in the Game 5 series-clinching win against the Canadiens.

Hall is the sixth player in Hurricanes history with five goals and 10 assists in a single postseason (and second in the last 20 seasons, joining Seth Jarvis in 2025).

Stankoven has nine goals this postseason, which is tied for third most in a single postseason in franchise history. Only Brind’Amour (12 in 2006) and Eric Staal (10 in 2009) have more.

After an up-and-down regular season, Frederik Andersen has rallied this postseason with 12 wins in 13 games, a 1.41 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage; those rates were 3.05 and .874, respectively, in the regular season.

Hurricanes thrash Canadiens, advance to first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years

Notes on the Golden Knights

The Golden Knights touched the Clarence Campbell Bowl in 2018, and they lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Washington Capitals. They did not touch the trophy in 2023 and defeated the Florida Panthers to win the Cup. They did not touch the trophy after winning the 2026 Western Conference finals.

2026 Stanley Cup Favorites

Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook

Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin were on the gold-medal-winning United States men’s hockey team at the 2026 Olympic Games. They can join Ken Morrow (1980) as the only U.S. players to win Olympic gold and the Stanley Cup in the same year.

Goaltender Carter Hart — who joined the Knights during the 2025-26 season — had a .944 save percentage (118 saves on 125 shots) during the Western Conference finals. He did not play against the Hurricanes this regular season, but did so 11 times as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers in previous campaigns. In those 11 games, he had a 4-6-1 record, with a 2.93 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.

John Tortorella is one of three coaches in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final after taking over with 10 games or fewer remaining in the regular season. The others are Roger Neilson (lost in the 1982 Final with the Vancouver Canucks) and Larry Robinson (won the Cup in 2000 with the New Jersey Devils).

Nineteen of the 20 Golden Knights to appear in the Western Conference finals had at least one point in the series.

Shea Theodore‘s assist in Game 4 was the 76th playoff point of his career, tying William Karlsson for the second most in franchise history behind Mark Stone‘s 82. Theodore has 21 points in potential series-clinching games, which is the most among active NHL defensemen.

Erik Johnson: Golden Knights do ‘the usual unusually well’

Stanley Cup Final preview: Key players, goalie confidence, big questions

From a starting point of 16 teams, the 2026 Stanley Cup playoff field is now down to two.

The Carolina Hurricanes blew past their competition in the Eastern Conference, needing only 13 games to win three series. The Vegas Golden Knights needed 16 games to get past their three opponents, but that included a four-game sweep of the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche.null

Who will win the Cup? Here is intel on both teams, including goaltender confidence ratings, what we’ve learned so far about each team, key players and more.

More: Full schedule
Stanley Cup odds
Conn Smythe Watch
Top players in SCF
Expert picks: CAR or VGK?
How Cup finalists were built
Offseason guide for eliminated teams

SVP commends John Buccigross for predicting Stanley Cup Final matchup

M1 Carolina
Hurricanes
vs.