RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights looks even in a lot of ways, with very little margin for error.
After Tuesday night, the series is tied 2-2. The action resumes Thursday night for Game 5 in Raleigh.
All games begin at 8 p.m. and can be seen on ABC11.
Check back here for live updates throughout the best-of-seven championship series.
Brandon Bussi was in the starter's crease at morning skate for the Hurricanes.
Freddie Andersen was not practicing. Still, coach Rod Brind'Amour won't say who will start Thursday night in Game 5.
"I'm not discussing the lineup," Brind'Amour said earlier Thursday. "Everybody's available. Everybody's available."
Still, Huricanes players expressed confidence no matter who gets the start.
Carolina Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall figures his team has played all season for the opportunity that now awaits in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights in Thursday night's Game 5, with the best-of-seven series even at 2-2. The Hurricanes won Game 4 on the road to retake home-ice advantage, which would include next Wednesday's Game 7 if the series goes the distance.
Game 6 is Sunday in Las Vegas and will provide the first opportunity for a Cup-clinching win.
'We're excited to be at home," Hall said. "I think our game has been trending in the right direction all series long, doing a lot of really good things. We feel like we're an in-shape team. We can go as long as this needs to go. The fact we had three short series to start with, we're confident in where we're at."
Andrei Svechnikov called Game 5 the biggest game of his life.
Home ice hasn't mattered much in a series in which the only reliable element is its unpredictability. It's made for an epic finale with nightly blown multi-goal leads, wild swings and close finishes - perfect for fans packed into buzzing arenas and TV viewers but leading to what Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour has described as intensely stressful nights behind the bench.
As Vegas coach John Tortorella said Wednesday: "I don't think anybody expected this."
It's come in a series that was expected to be a defense-first battle but has instead seen 33 goals through four games (8.3 per game), making life tricky for each team's goaltenders.
Carolina started veteran Frederik Andersen after he had led them in a 12-1 run through the Eastern Conference playoffs, but pulled him in the third period of Game 3 with the Hurricanes down 4-0 before rallying in what ended as a double-overtime loss. Brandon Bussi played well in relief, then got the start in Game 4 with Brind'Amour saying Andersen - who didn't dress out - needed a break.
Brind'Amour wouldn't specify a Game 5 starter beyond saying everyone is available.
As for Vegas, Carter Hart has become the first goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games yet two of them were wins. Tortorella said he had no concerns about Hart's play "at all."
- The Associated Press contributed.
Temperatures are soaring, and Caniacs are working toward a fever pitch as the Hurricanes have a chance to move within one game of a Stanley Cup title on Thursday night.
If you're heading out to cheer on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, you'll want to prepare for more than just playoff hockey -- you'll also be dealing with dangerous heat.
The Triangle is under a Heat Advisory Thursday with temperatures expected to climb to around 99 degrees and heat index values topping 100. That means it will feel even hotter for fans packing into tailgates, watch parties and the arena.
At Lenovo Center, parking lots open at 4 p.m., with the Raleighwood tailgate kicking off at 5. Thousands more fans are expected downtown at Red Hat Amphitheater for the city's official Game 5 watch party.
With the heat and humidity, health officials are urging fans to take precautions: drink plenty of water, wear light and breathable clothing, and take breaks in the shade whenever possible.
Whether you're inside the arena or cheering from outside, the message is simple -- stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay safe.
Carolina now needs just two more wins to capture its first Stanley Cup since 2006. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. in Raleigh.
