🏒 Stanley Cup Final Prediction: Why the Golden Knights Will Win the Cup

The Vegas Golden Knights will make their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in nine seasons, while the Carolina Hurricanes punched their first ticket to the dance in 20 years. 

My Stanley Cup prediction outlines why the Golden Knights will win the Cup despite being the +120 betting underdog. Both teams enter the showcase final in imperious form, with the Hurricanes winning 12 of 13 games and the Golden Knights losing just two of their previous 13. 

👊 The John Tortorella impact 

The Golden Knights are a staggering 19-4-1 since John Tortorella took the helm before playing the Vancouver Canucks on March 30. They are 12-4 in the postseason and 11-2 in the previous 13 games, underpinning how dominant they've been at the most competitive time of the season. 

The 67-year-old bench boss has elicited the best from each player, inspiring and motivating in a role he describes as a guidance counsellor.

His most impactful decision was to make Carter Hart the unquestionable No. 1 goaltender. Hart has played an integral part in the Golden Knights' run to the Stanley Cup Final. 

Since Game 6 against the Utah Mammoth, he is 9-2 with a .940 save percentage and 1.82 goals-against average (GAA). Among the Conn Smythe odds contenders, he has allowed more than two goals twice in that sample size and only once in four games against the high-powered Colorado Avalanche. 

♞ The Golden Knights' special teams advantage 

While it's almost impossible to find chinks in the Hurricanes' armor, the Golden Knights have a slight special teams advantage. They are 11-for-46 on the power play for 23.9%. The Hurricanes' power play is languishing, running at just 12.5% (7-for-56).  

It's almost a wash on the penalty kill, with the Hurricanes at 92.5% and the Golden Knights 87.5%. Mark Stone and Pavel Dorofeyev have four power-play goals each, while Logan Stankoven leads the Hurricanes' power play with two. 

Vegas can be the first to stand in Hurricanes' path

Some people will tell you that Carolina had the easier path, which I don't subscribe to. The Golden Knights faced a relatively inexperienced Utah Mammoth team and the even more inexperienced Anaheim Ducks.

Sure, they had to overcome the Presidents' Trophy winners, but the Avalanche were decimated by injuries to key players, including Cale Makar, Brent Burns, and later, Valeri Nichushkin, and Nathan MacKinnon. 

Regardless, the Golden Knights have a chance to finally test a Hurricanes team that have rolled through the playoffs undeterred and unrestrained. 

The Hurricanes scored first in 11 of 13 games, more proof of their utter dominance. If the Golden Knights consistently put the Hurricanes under pressure from the start of Game 1, they'll do something no other team has been able to. 

That's when we'll see if the Hurricanes can be tamed. 

Frederik Andersen hasn't been put under pressure

Frederik Andersen has allowed more than two goals once in 13 playoff games. It's an astonishing testament to his and the Hurricanes' unerring control.

That said, Andersen has faced only 22.3 shots per game and 16.8 in Games 2 through 5 against the Montreal Canadiens. The Golden Knights will put Andersen's aura of invincibility to the test by firing more pucks on goal with increased traffic.