Different paths have led the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens to the Eastern Conference finals, but tonight, they'll kick off what should be a tightly contested series.

The Stanley Cup final is here, and the Vegas Golden Knights face their toughest test yet in a dominant Carolina Hurricanes squad. Fresh off a near-perfect post-season run, the Hurricanes’ stifling defense faces a battle-tested Golden Knights roster.

The second round predictions worked out well for us, 3-1 and correctly predicted the number of games it would take in both Eastern Conference series to improve to 9-2 on the postseason. Only those damn Ducks confounded us,

Carolina has lost one game in the playoffs but is an underdog against Vegas in the eyes of our panel of 29 coaches and 20 execs. Here's why.

Read this preview for Thursday's NHL Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 between Montreal and Carolina. Explore the different Polymarket markets available for the game, which can be traded on legally across most states.

It's time to start handing out hardware in the NHL as the playoffs have reached the conference finals. The Prince of Wales Trophy and Clarence S. Campbell Bowl — and more important a spot in the Stanley Cup Final — are on the line as the Montreal ...