The Panthers were issued 40 penalty minutes during the third period of Game 1
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final was quite the contest.
You’d think these teams had just played a seven-game series against each other based off the amount of animosity on Saturday.
It certainly has all the makings of what will hopefully be a spectacular series.
If the Panthers are going to come out on top, they’re going to have to come from behind to do it.
Vegas scored twice in the third period to claim Game 1 by the score of 5-2.
Fortunately for the Panthers, after waiting 10 days between their last two games, they’ll only have to wait until Monday for Game 2.
Let’s get to the recap.
FIRST PERIOD
Right off the opening faceoff, the Sam Bennett line got the puck deep in the Vegas zone and begin punishing the Golden Knights along the boards, recording two hits in the first 23 seconds.
The first big save of the game came courtesy of Sergei Bobrovsky. He robbed Brett Howden after the Vegas forward got in alone on Bob following a giveaway by a stickless Aaron Ekblad.
Ekblad made up for it on his next shift. First, he got a shot on Adin Hill after coming late on an odd man rush, then he hustled his butt off to break up a Vegas opportunity in the Florida end.
Some great work by Ryan Lomberg on the forecheck led to a good look for Anton Lundell at the bottom of the left circle.
Eight minutes into the game, Florida held the edge in hits 9-3 and was outshooting Vegas 4-3.
A massive scrum ensued after Hill made a save on Nick Cousins down low.
Hill got the gloves up with a few Panthers players, Bennett and Cousins among them.
Cousins then skated up to Hill and shoved him, after which Hill chopped at Cousins with his blocker and stick.
It was only Cousins who would end up with a penalty called though.
No matter to the Panthers.
Lundell forced a neutral zone turnover and raced into the Knights’ zone, finding Eric Staal streaking down the slot.
Staal held the puck and got Hill to go to the ice before going around the net and wrapping the puck into the other side.
The Staal shorty cracked the ice in Vegas. 1-0 Panthers.
Florida would get a power play soon after the goal when William Carrier got a little carried away with his aggression toward Matthew Tkachuk.
About a minute into the penalty Tkachuk had tons of room just above the left circle but his slapshot rung the post behind Hill’s glove.
Vegas would get its second power play thanks to an interference call on Josh Mahura after knocking the stick out of William Karlsson’s hands deep in Florida’s zone.
Bobrovsky made a huge save on Mark Stone after he was found with tons of space in Florida’s zone, but the backhand forehand move was thwarted by Bob’s left pad.
About 20 seconds later Vegas tied the game. Jonathan Marchessault slammed home a one-timer from the top of the crease off a great feed from below the goal line by Chandler Stephenson.
Vegas finished the period strongly, outshooting the Panthers 5-1 over the final few minutes.
SECOND PERIOD
Hill absolutely robbed Cousins in the opening minute of the period, reaching back into the crease and using his stick to take a goal away from Florida.
Bobrovsky came up with a nice save on Jack Eichel moments later when Vegas came into the Panthers end in transition.
Mahura’s second penalty in as many periods would give Vegas another shot on the man advantage.
Vegas would get three shots on Bobrovsky during the penalty, but the game would remain tied. Bob came up with a big stop on Stone just as the penalty expired, swallowing up a point-blank shot from the faceoff dot.
Vegas went a stretch between the first and the second period in which they won 18 of 21 faceoffs.
Shea Theodore absolutely undressed Anthony Duclair before putting the puck past Bobrovsky, who was screed by Howden in front, to give the Golden Knights their first lead of the game.
Duclair had just blocked a Theodore shot and looked like he was slowed by it, and the savvy defenseman took advantage.
Theodore was called for a hook with 5:20 to go in the period when Montour carried the puck around the boards in Vegas’ end of the ice.
Florida’s first unit couldn’t get anything going, with Lundell getting the only shot on the power play with 12 seconds to go.
Barkov hit the crossbar and then Montour rang the post in the final minutes, but Duclair gave Florida redemption when he scored right off an offensive zone draw with 10.2 seconds to go in the period.
Florida and Vegas headed into the second intermission knotted up at two goals apiece.
THIRD PERIOD
The Panthers came out flying to start the third, logging a shot and three hits in the first 34 seconds.
Things would even back out quickly as both teams traded chances in each end of the ice during the first few minutes.
Bobrovksy made a throwback save on Alex Pietrangelo, sliding to his left and stacking the pads while stopping the puck.
Vegas went up 3-2 almost immediately after an extended shift by the Panthers when Zach Whitecloud sent a wrist shot through a maze of Florida players and under Bobrovsky’s glove.
Nick Roy was called for hooking just 13 seconds after the goal, sending the Panthers on a crucial power play considering they were suddenly losing again.
Florida would record two shots on the power play but couldn’t solve Hill.
Eric Staal took an undisciplined penalty in the Vegas zone, cross-checking Barbashev with the puck nowhere around with 9:56 to go in the period.
The Golden Knights didn’t get any shots on the power play, but Bobrovsky made a nice glove save on Stone shortly after it ended.
Vegas went up 4-2 on an amazing play by Stone. He knocked a Tkachuk pass out of midair and quickly shot it over Bobrovsky’s glove.
Florida challenged to see if it was knocked down with a high stick, but the goal was confirmed, and the Panthers were issued a penalty.
Both Tkachuk and Bennett would be issued misconducts for a scrum behind the Panthers net late in the period. They each appeared to separately hit Nick Hague with sucker punches and were subsequently shown the gate.
Reilly Smith would score into an empty net with 1:45 to go to ice the game for the home team.
GAME NOTES
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