The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers by a decisive score of 5-2 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final to take a commanding 1-0 series lead.
The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers by a decisive score of 5-2 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final to take a commanding 1-0 series lead.
Game 1 of the 2023 Stanley Cup final on Saturday night might not have been an overtime barnburner, but it certainly didn't skimp on drama, either.
The Vegas Golden Knights came out swinging in their second Finals appearance since 2017, taking it to the Florida Panthers from the opening puck drop to earn a decisive 5-2 victory and take a crucial 1-0 series lead.
It didn't take long for sparks to fly in this one, that's for sure. After some rough stuff with netminder Adin Hill following a stoppage in play, Panthers forward Nick Cousins put the Golden Knights on the power play roughly halfway into the opening frame. Despite the man advantage, though, it was the Panthers who struck first. Anton Lundell took advantage of a scrambling William Karlsson, who had just returned from breaking his stick, at his own blueline to strip the puck and feed Eric Staal on the rush. Staal took it around the net to beat a sprawling Hill.
The Golden Knights would rectify their mistake minutes later, however, as an ill-timed interference penalty by Josh Mahura allowed Vegas to set up shop on the power play and saw Chandler Stephenson feed a streaking Jonathan Marchessault back-door to tie the score.
It wasn't until halfway through the second period that the game produced its first even-strength goal. And, boy, was it a beauty.
Getting the puck back at the opposing blueline, Shea Theodore backpedaled to draw the defending Panthers forward toward him before executing a perfectly-timed spin-o-rama that worked like a charm. All alone in the slot now, Theodore took his time, picked his spot, and wired one past Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Golden Knights the lead and blow the roof off of an already buzzing T-Mobile Arena.
The Panthers, though, would strike back themselves. Anthony Duclair sneaked into the circle immediately after the draw to fire a wobbler that pinballed off a Golden Knights defender in front and handcuffed Adin Hill, tying the game with 10 seconds left in the period.
With tensions higher than ever, the third period promised fireworks galore, and it delivered.
After eight straight minutes of back-and-forth action, the Golden Knights struck once again, throwing everything they possibly could at Bobrovsky before a Zach Whitecloud point shot somehow found its way through a sea of bodies and past the Panthers' netminder to put Vegas up 3-2.
Things would only get better for Vegas as the period played out. At the end of a flurry of offensive zone action late in the third, Mark Stone did what he does best, knocking a Panthers clearing attempt out of mid-air directly in front of Bobrovsky before corralling it and wiring it top corner to give the Golden Knights a crucial insurance marker. And after Florida challenged the goal for a high stick and was deemed unsuccessful, Vegas found itself on the power play once again.
While unsuccessful on that man advantage, it wouldn't take long for a Reilly Smith empty-net marker from distance to seal the deal and give Vegas the edge early in the series.
If Game 1 was any indication, we are in for a wild ride.