The NHL purists who remain, if there are any out there still hanging around the $1-a-slice pizza stand, may not like the sight or sound of North Carolina and Nevada squaring off Tuesday night in Raleigh, N.C., in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Neither of those proud states could claim to have an NHL franchise when Montreal won the Cup in 1993, which stands as the last time a Canadian-based franchise took the title. The NHL has since grown by one-third, from 24 to 32 franchises, and for the 33rd season running, that oversized and glorious and shimmering trophy will be … America’s Cup.
So forget tradition and Original Six days long gone, folks, and focus on what again promises to be at least four games — and more likely a minimum six — of taut, physical, emotional, and spectacular hockey. This one shapes up as a real good grind.
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The Hurricanes and Golden Knights play fast. They’re both hoping to win the Cup for the second time. Both bring a decided, feisty, and physical edge. They both can put up numbers on the scoreboard. In their combined 29 games through the first three rounds, they scored four or more goals 12 times and not once suffered a shutout. The more explosive Golden Knights scored five goals or more in six of their 16 games.
Carolina’s M.O. is to dictate play with a relentless, blunt-force forecheck, which it employed to near perfection against its first two opponents, Ottawa and Philadelphia, yielding only five goals in each of the two series sweeps.
When it came time to close out the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference finals, Rod Brind’Amour’s charges trounced Les Glorieux, 10-1, in the final two games. Montreal’s back end, unable to cope with the intense pressure of the Hurricanes’ forwards, at series end all but got hooked to a tow truck and hauled off to the junkyard.
The Golden Knights, with a greater emphasis on skate and shoot, ripped through Utah, Anaheim, and powerhouse Colorado in a total 16 games, including a surprising sweep of the mighty Avalanche (Presidents’ Trophy winner). The Avalanche weren’t their best selves, mainly because of injured all-world defenseman Cale Makar, and mustered merely two goals per game after leading the league with 298 strikes in the 82-game regular season (No. 2, Carolina, 291).
The key for the Golden Knights, with rent-a-coach John Tortorella behind the bench, will be to defuse that forecheck, a riddle that the Senators, Flyers, and Habs couldn’t solve. Brind’Amour will have his forwards target Shea Theodore, the Golden Knights’ top-scoring defenseman (4-7–11), and the rest of the blue line corps in hopes of denying Vegas the chance to move up ice and, in turn, develop scoring chances.
The Knights are led by the postseason’s top two point producers, ex-Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (7-14–21) and former Boston University Terrier and proud son of North Chelmsford Jack Eichel (2-16–18), followed by Pavel Dorofeyev (10–4–14). Brett Howden, the former Ranger, and Dorofeyev, with 10 each, enter the Cup Final atop the postseason goal-scoring chart.
Because of that stinging Hurricane forecheck, all Vegas forwards will have to adopt helper’s hands in their defensive end. Tortorella, defense and shot blocking his raisons d’etre, won’t be looking for his blue liners to get out from under that forecheck with stretch or home run passes to the forwards.
It will have to be by committee, with an emphasis on forwards disrupting Carolina’s attack mid- or high zone. If the puck makes it back to their defensive goal line, the Hurricanes’ workshop, the Knights’ forwards will be forced to join the low grind, or at least support it, by re-collecting pucks rather than think about blowing the zone for scoring chances. The No. 1 question going in, will they be adequately patient? The Hurricanes feast on frustration.
Rarely does any team make it to the Cup Final with only adequate goaltending. Both stoppers have been stellar.
Brandon Bussi, the former Bruins prospect, carried the Carolina net for the bulk of the regular season and delivered an eye-popping 31-6-2 record in his rookie season.
Come playoff time, Brind’Amour opted instead to hand veteran workhorse Frederik Andersen the net chores. The 36-year-old trusted hand, born in Denmark, has turned in the postseason of a lifetime, albeit helped immensely by that forecheck that routinely has the puck 150 feet or more removed from Andersen’s blue paint. He has faced a light workload, averaging a fraction over 22 shots (289 total) across 13 games.
Carter Hart has been the ace he was as a 21-year-old in the Flyers’ net in the 2020 postseason. Cut loose by Philly and added by the Golden Knights after being cleared of assault charges dating to his World Junior days with Team Canada, Hart has been steady, sharp, unflappable in facing an average of nearly 30 shots per game. He has been busy by design because the Knights are built to run and gun. If the Hurricanes can dictate play as they desire, he’ll be even busier now.
Now, indeed, the thought of the Cup trail looping through Tobacco Road to the side of the Las Vegas Strip may sound unconventional to some. But in a game where virtually everything has changed but the ingredients, size, and weight of the vulcanized rubber puck, it’s time to surrender your Original Six desires.
This one shapes up to be good, potentially down to the last shot in Game 7 overtime.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at [email protected].
