Game 1 Monday Night. Two Defenses That Strangle Offense. Expect a Quiet Start.
Carolina at 1.62 GA/G. Vegas swept the Presidents' Trophy winner. The Stanley Cup Final opens in Raleigh.
The Stanley Cup Final starts Monday in Raleigh. Carolina vs. Vegas. Two teams that got here by strangling offense.
The Kid ran the numbers: Carolina is 12-1 with 1.62 goals allowed per game. That's historically elite for a team entering the Finals. Vegas swept Colorado — the Presidents' Trophy winner, the team with the best record in hockey — with suffocating defense and Carter Hart playing like the goaltender everyone hoped he'd become.
Carolina opened as a slight favorite, -130 to -140 across books. The series total is 5.5 games, implying a competitive matchup. Both reads feel right.
Game 1 between two defensive teams historically trends low-scoring. Both sides feel each other out. The margin for error is thin. I'm taking under 5.5 goals in Game 1 and Carolina to win it — home ice, better record, and a team that already lost a Game 1 in these playoffs (to Montreal) and responded by winning four straight.
Vegas hasn't been tested yet. Monday night is the first test.