Can the Carolina Hurricanes Beat Vegas and Conquer the Strip?

^{Fans of the Carolina Hurricanes are set to storm T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. (Photo: PKarl DeBlaker / AP)}

LAS VEGAS – The Vegas Golden Knights nearly returned home for Games 3 and 4 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final with a commanding 2-0 series lead. But the Carolina Hurricanes had other plans, rallying back from a 2-0 deficit in the final 10 minutes of regulation and beating the Golden Knights 4-3 in overtime of Game 2 to even the series on Thursday.

Vegas still earned a valuable split at Carolina and can hoist its second Stanley Cup in four years by winning three games at T-Mobile Arena, where the team is 6-2 this postseason. The problem is, the Hurricanes have yet to lose on the road in these playoffs, going a perfect 6-0 so far after posting a 24-12-5 mark away from home during the regular season.

Saturday’s Game 3 is an extremely hot ticket on the Las Vegas Strip, and visiting Carolina fans will have to pay a steep price to attend. Then again, so will fans of the Golden Knights, with the cheapest seat costing $592 as of Friday morning at their official ticketing partner AXS. Tuesday’s Game 4 is even more expensive, with the lowest ticket price at $753 each.

A much cheaper alternative to watching the Stanley Cup games in person remains Stadium Swim at Circa Resort & Casino, which is hosting watch parties for those 21 and older. Admission is free for those wearing Vegas gear, so visitors should keep that in mind.

Here’s the remaining Stanley Cup Final schedule:

Game 3 - June 6th CAR at VGK
Game 4 - June 9th CAR at VGK
Game 5 - June 11th VGK at CAR (if necessary)
Game 6 - June 14th CAR at VGK (if necessary)
Game 7 - June 17th VGK at CAR (if necessary)

All games will start at 5 p.m. (PT) and be televised on ABC.

Golden Knights Back to Underdogs After Game 2 Loss

After the Hurricanes were upset 5-4 in the series opener on Tuesday, they saw themselves as series underdogs for the first time in these playoffs. However, that was short-lived, with Carolina returning to favorite status with Thursday’s OT victory against Vegas.

Game 3 on Saturday is listed as a Pick’em at sportsbooks around town, including Circa Sports. If the Golden Knights are going to win the Cup, they will need to figure out a way to score a power-play goal. The Hurricanes have killed off 56-of-60 PP opportunities for their opponents, a staggering 93.3% that leads the NHL. Vegas is 0-for-7 through the first two games and also gave up two PP goals in Game 2, including the game-winner.

The health of defenseman Brayden McNabb is a major concern for the Golden Knights as well after he took a puck to the face in the first period. McNabb blocked an 87-mph shot from Carolina winger Nikolaj Ehlers in front of the goal and had to be taken to the hospital. His status for the rest of the series is unclear, and Vegas definitely needs his presence.

Marner Closes as Conn Smythe Trophy Favorite

While online sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel are still offering odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, that is not the case in Vegas. The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) prohibits wagering on the individual award once the series begins.

“Conn Smythe Trophy can’t be offered in Nevada after Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, so that market is off for the duration of the series,” said Jeff Benson, Director of Operations at Circa Sports.

Benson added that those online books are not in Nevada, which is why they are able to post odds on the Conn Smythe, awarded to the top performer in the NHL playoffs.

“This is only a state of Nevada thing,” Benson told Casinos.com. “(DraftKings and FanDuel) don’t operate here. Thus, no need to close the market.”

Playoff-leading point scorer Mitch Marner of the Golden Knights remains the consensus favorite to win the Conn Smythe at DraftKings and FanDuel and closed as such at Circa. Despite surrendering eight goals in the first two games, goalie Frederik Andersen of the Hurricanes is the second choice followed by teammates Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven.

The biggest riser on the betting board has been Marner’s teammate Brett Howden, who was as high as +100000 (bet $100 to win $100,000) at BetMGM. Howden is the postseason’s top goal scorer with 12 after scoring a pair in Game 2 and now listed at +800 via DraftKings.