Having had a week off, Vegas on Tuesday might be looking at the same rust problem the Hurricanes had in Game 1 of the last round. That remains their only loss. The Knights won both regular-season meetings, but Montreal had won all three vs. Carolina in the RS and that mattered little. Excluding the bubble Stanley Cup Final in 2020, the home team has won nine straight Game 1s in this round. If it gets to OT, I'll feel pretty good considering the Hurricanes are 5-0 in OT playoff games this year. Trust Frederik Andersen more than Carter Hart.

Vegas enters this series after a week-long layoff following its sweep of Colorado, a pause that often leads to slow starts. Their high-octane, transition-based offense has leaned heavily on Carter Hart’s outstanding but unsustainable goaltending to mask defensive flaws, leading to a -45 postseason shot differential. In sharp contrast, Carolina’s disciplined, possession-driven approach has produced a +142 shot differential and is perfectly built for postseason resilience. The Hurricanes’ home-ice advantage is significant—29-10-2 at Lenovo Center in the regular season, with just one home loss this postseason. While Vegas is still adapting to John Tortorella's system after taking over in late March, Carolina’s roster has mastered it over many months and years. A healthy Frederik Andersen has been huge for the Hurricanes.