Even if the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes did not stand out as the cream of the crop in the NHL during the regular season, they have clearly been the best during the playoffs. Now the hottest teams in hockey will meet for the Stanley Cup.Vegas swept Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado in the Western Conference Final and has won 19 of 24 games since John Tortorella took over as coach in late March. Carolina has won 12 of 13 the playoffs, including four in a row to put away Montreal to reach the Cup final.“I probably would give an edge to Vegas, but I don’t feel that secure in that,” former player-turned-NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp said. “Both teams are just playing this demonstrative way right now that it feels like it’s the right matchup here in the finals.”The Hurricanes actually go into the series as a slight favorite, perhaps because they have home-ice advantage and have looked especially dominant. Game 1 is Tuesday night in Raleigh.Carolina was 8-0 through two rounds with sweeps of Ottawa and Philadelphia. A wakeup call of a loss to the Canadiens could easily be attributed to rust after an 11-day layoff, and the Hurricanes have not lost since.Vegas had some bumps getting through Utah and Anaheim, then had no trouble with the banged-up and battered Avalanche. The Golden Knights will have a full week off between rounds.“I worry about, just you lose your edge just a little bit, that’s a big disadvantage,” Tortorella said Friday. “That’s the key for us. As a coach, you’re always worried about that. I think our players, the group is good, and I think …
