The Vegas Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Zach Whitecloud scored the crucial goal that put Vegas ahead with just over 13 minutes left in the game. The game was a feisty opener between Sun Belt teams that wasted little time getting acquainted with big hits during play and plenty of post-whistle pushing and shoving.
Key Players
Original Knights players Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore also scored on Florida’s two-time Vezina winner, Sergei Bobrovsky. However, the highlight of the game was arguably the best save of the playoffs made by Adin Hill.
Avoiding a Repeat of 2018
In 2018, Vegas beat Washington in Game 1 but lost the next four to fall short of hoisting the Cup in its inaugural season. Back in the Final, they will now try to avoid the same result.
Florida’s Loss
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Panthers, who breezed past the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2 before sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes last week. Florida also lost a road game for the first time since Round 1, when the Panthers upset the Boston Bruins. Game 2 is set to take place on Monday in Las Vegas.
Overall, the Vegas Golden Knights put up an impressive performance in Game 1, with key players stepping up and making crucial plays. The game was filled with big hits and lots of post-whistle pushing and shoving, adding to the excitement of the Stanley Cup Final. With Game 2 coming up, both teams will be looking to make necessary adjustments and come out on top.
Leave a Reply