Carolina-Vegas Cup Final Is The NHL’s Newest Power-Play Era

This Final has the feel of a league that has fully moved on from the old guard and into its next era. Carolina reaches the championship series for the first time in 20 years, while Vegas arrives after a late-season coaching change and a path that knocked out the President’s Trophy winner. The matchup puts two franchises built to survive the modern NHL’s churn right in the spotlight, which is exactly why this series feels bigger than just a trophy chase.