SUNRISE, FL – Despite scoring the game’s first goal just more than four minutes into the game, there was little to get excited about on the Panthers side for the first 57:47 until desperation set in. Faced with going down three games to none with a potential Cup-clinching game Saturday night, the Florida Panthers dug deep and shocked the Vegas Golden Knights with a 3-2 overtime win, their 10th overtime win in a row.
The Panthers were seeking their first Stanley Cup Final win in seven tries, having lost the first two games of this Final and being swept by Colorado in 1996. It marked nearly 27 years to the day of their last Stanley Cup Final game.
The turn of tides began with Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky replaced with an extra attacker, the Panthers had very little time to make a difference, but somehow, they found a way, just as they did in early playoff round series against Boston, Toronto and Carolina.
Aaron Ekblad kept the puck in on the left point near the blue line before sliding it over to Carter Verhaeghe on the right side. His drive toward the Vegas night was deflected to a waiting Matthew Tkachuk who put the tying goal behind Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill with just 2:13 remaining in regulation.
After a very week tripping call against Florida’s Gustav Forsling with twelve seconds remaining in the third period, the Panthers survived the scare into overtime.
Then with a chance to send the home fans to their cars happy, the Panthers put the finishing dagger in Vegas. That’s when Forsling collected the puck in his own zone, could see Sam Bennett up ice on the right side and sent him a pass. Bennett cruised over the blue line before finding Carter Verhaeghe in the high slot with a slick pass. Verhaeghe sent the puck on net and after a slight deflection Hill valiantly reacted to, the shot struck twine, sending the Panthers to their first Stanley Cup Final victory in their history.
But despite the result and the tone of most of the game, Florida struggled.
Seeking to set the tone early, Florida won the opening draw when the puck found Brandon Montour. He fired a shot from distance on Vegas goalie Adin Hill, a shot which sailed high, but seemingly sent as a signal of what the Panthers were wanting to do in this important game.
Moments later Florida’s Sam Bennett sent a drive from the left point which Hill knocked away, but not cleanly with his catch glove, indicating a degree of shakiness early-on from the Vegas netminder.
Then a breakthrough. The Panthers continued with a lengthy puck possession in the Vegas one. Eric Staal began a nifty passing play before dishing the puck off to Matthew Tkachuk. He then found Brandon Montour high in the slot. Montour released a shot which passed through several bodies creating an active screen before tickling twine behind Hill for the early lead.
It’s just what the Panthers needed, an early goal to capitalize on a somewhat shaky goaltender and activate the home crowd. It was Montour’s 7th of the playoffs.
FLA Live Arena got loud real quick.
Just a minute later, Florida’s Anthony Duclair had a point blank shot on Hill which he steered aside. It would have put Vegas on their heels, but Hill wouldn’t have it.
Just a minute later, while carelessly defending in the neutral zone, Vegas’ William Carrier found Sam Bennett’s chin with his stick and was sent to the box for high-sticking. No platelets were drawn on the play and Carrier was assessed the minor penalty. Florida could only muster one shot on the power play.
It was on this power play that Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk was hit hard with a clean, strong check from Keegan Kolesar, leaving the game. This semed to turn the game’s tide.
Then an opportunity for Vegas.
With 7:46 remaining in the period, Marc Staal mishandled the puck inside the Golden Knights zone, leaving the visitors to embark on an odd-man rush. Seeing he had no chance to legally defend while stretched out on the ice, Staal swiped his stick at the legs of Ivan Barbashev, tripping the Vegas forward and earned a tripping penalty.
Vegas went to work with the man advantage, but couldn’t solve Panthers’ goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky with their single shot.
As the Golden Knights began to generate some activity in the Florida zone, Carrier and Florida’s Radko Gudas locked horns and were sent off for boarding and cross-checking respectively.
Then the penalty box door swung open, but just for Florida 23 seconds after the coincidental minors. That’s when Anthony Duclair was called for tripping Vegas defenseman Zach Whitecloud. The 4 on 3 power play left lots of open ice to operate with just under four minutes remaining in the period.
It didn’t take long for Vegas to even up on the scoreboard.
After Florida won the draw, Shea Theodore held the puck in at the right point and slid the puck over to Jonathan Marchessault at the left point. The top Vegas playoff goal scorer then sent a low drive toward the net where Mark Stone redirected the drive off the heel of his stick, causing it to be redirected past Boborovsky to knot the score. It was Stone’s 8th of the postseason.
Florida had a few good chances late and Bobrovsky made a key save in the period’s final minute to preserve the tie score as time wound down.
Vegas led the period in shots 6-5 and in hits with a dominating 9-3 edge.
Matthew Tkachuk left after getting rocked by a Keegan Kolesar hit during the Panthers power play and didn’t come out for the 2nd period.
The middle frame began with a favorable edge for Florida when Carrier was whistled for tripping Florida’s Colin White, his third minor penalty of the game. The Panthers registered just a single shot.
Just a few minutes into the period, Matthew Tkachuk emerged from the dressing room to take his rightful spot on the bench, soon entering for a regular shift and Florida would need it.
Vegas began to press with shots and heavy hits, eventually leading to a power play after Florida’s Aaron Ekblad was called for holding Vegas’ Chandler Stephenson just less than five minutes into the period.
Bobrovsky solved Marchessault’s drive from the left circle by snapping his right pad out to stifle a low drive. Then Mark Stone tried from the other circle which Bobrovsky smothered. Thirty seconds later, Bobrosvky robbed Chandler Stevenson from in-close during a six-shot power play.
After surviving the assault, Duclair streaked up the right side with the puck and was held while angling toward the net along the goal line, drawing a holding penalty against Brayden McNabb. Florida went on their third power play of the night. Florida could generate no offense.
The game began to develop a much quicker pace than how it started with both teams trading breathtaking chances.
Florida’s best came when Tkachuk fed Sam Reinhart from behind the goal. Reinhart’s drive sailed just wide left of the pipe.
Then Vegas came with a Brayden McNab cross-ice pass from Michael Amadio in front of Bobrovsky which the Panther netminder turned aside.
Florida kept having trouble staying out of the box. While in the offensive zone and just less than six minutes remaining in the period, Aleksander Barkov was called for interference on Zach Whitecloud, giving Vegas their fourth power play of the night.
The Golden Knights wouldn’t take long to reap the benefit.
Just 46 seconds after the penalty, Vegas set-up shop inside the Florida zone. Stone gathered the puck inside the line and sent a pass forward to Jack Eichel. The first-time playoff participant found Marchessault at the far circle, sending a pass he one-timed past Bobrovsky blocker-side to break the tie. It was Marchessault’s 13th of the post-season.
As Florida continued to press the Vegas net, Alec Martinez was called for interference and the Panthers went on the power play. Just 18 seconds in Barkov nearly converted a Tkachuk pass, but sent the drive right into Hill instead of one of the four corners.
Before the period ended, Florida’s Anton Lundell committed a slashing penalty along the side boards and put his team back on their heels. The home team survived, but it didn’t bode well that they continued to take poor penalties.
Vegas further tightened their grip on the game, now leading 19-13 in shots, 13-5 in his and the all important 2-1 score.
Early in the third, Vegas continued where they left off, with more pressure on Bobrovsky, but he stood tall.
Then it as Florida’s turn with heavy drives from Sam Bennett, Brandon Montour and Radko Gudas, but each fell short of crossing the goal line.
Then with 7:22 to play in regulation, Eichel was called for hooking Sam Bennett and Florida would go on their fifth power play of the night, still goalless through nearly three games at a 0 for 12 result. They would continue to be held without a man-advantage goal.
Seconds later, William Karlsson was stopped point blank by Bobrosvky.
Vegas began to protect their lead, never really putting any pressure eon Bobrovsky all while containing the Florida attack with no chances of any threat being given up, but all was not lost for the Panthers.
In one last effort, Florida pulled Bobrovsky with two-and-a-half minutes remaining. With the extra attacker, Ekblad collected the puck at the left point and sent it over to Carter Verhaeghe. His drive from the right point was blocked just in front of the Vegas goal and trickled to a waiting Tkachuk. He deposited the game-tying goal past Hill for his 11th of the playoffs to send the Florida crowd into a frenzy.
The Panthers hung around just enough to stay close, being outplayed the majority of the game in every category, but someone found a way to stay in it.
Then in what was a horrible call, Florida’s Gustav Forsberg was sent off for tripping Barbashev on what was clearly a Vegas skate tripping over a Florida skate while powering through. Florida eventually survived the shorthanded situation before Tkachuk’s tying goal and Verhaeghe’s overtime game winner.
Game Four is set for Saturday night at FLA Arena where the Panthers will look to even the series before Game Five in Vegas on Tuesday night.
Dennis Morrell has developed a deeply-rooted passion for the great game over many decades as a writer, photographer, goalie coach, netminder and active USA Hockey-certified referee with over 2,000 games on the ice. His passion for the game began in the early 70s with his first glance at skaters battling for the puck at Clayton’s Shaw Park. He has covered nine Stanley Cup Finals and a dozen of the NHL’s special event games. He can be reached at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com and you can follow him on Twitter at DMMORRELL.
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