Caught up in the NBA playoffs?

The Stanley Cup Final opened as a clash of two heavyweights who won in different ways. Carolina arrived at Game 1 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh with a 12-1 playoff record and only one loss in three rounds, while Vegas came in on a six-game run after sweeping Colorado, the Presidents’ Trophy winner, to reach its third Final in nine seasons. The best-of-seven series was scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET start on Tuesday, and the numbers suggested how tight it could be: both clubs had allowed the fewest and third-fewest goals against in the field, while each was scoring more than three goals a game.

Carolina’s identity was pressure. The Hurricanes led the postseason in 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage at 58.8, offensive-zone time at 47.2 and takeaways per 60 minutes at 5.54, a profile that matched Rod Brind’Amour’s insistence on structure, puck pressure and disciplined layers in front of Frederik Andersen. The depth was real too: Logan Stankoven led all playoff skaters in 5-on-5 shot attempts differential at plus-111, Taylor Hall led the postseason in even-strength points with 14, and defensemen Alexander Nikishin and Shayne Gostisbehere were among the league leaders in offensive-zone time.

Vegas arrived with a different blueprint. The Golden Knights led the playoffs with 34 high-danger goals, and their power play had produced 11 goals in 46 chances, a 24 percent rate that gave Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone another way to break a game open. Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev were tied for the playoff lead with 10 goals, and both also led the field in high-danger finishing, which made Vegas less dependent on grinding out every zone shift. The Knights were not trying to outspend Carolina in shots; they were trying to make the few dangerous looks count.

That left two matchups that looked most likely to decide the series: Carolina’s forecheck against Vegas’s puck management, and special teams against special teams. The Hurricanes’ penalty kill was running at 92.5 percent, allowing four power-play goals and scoring once shorthanded, but Carolina’s own power play was only 7 for 56 in the postseason, a 12.5 percent clip. Frederik Andersen gave Carolina its clearest edge in goal, entering the final at 12-1 with a .940 5-on-5 save percentage and a 5-0 record in overtime games, so if the game stayed at five-on-five the Hurricanes’ volume and pressure could matter most. If penalties and rebound chances opened the ice, Vegas had the more dangerous conversion rate.