Vegas Cuts First ⚔️

06/05/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Golden Knights Beat Panthers With 3rd-Period Runaway in Game 1 (5-2)

 

The first hand goes to the dealer, but there are still chips on the table. The Golden Knights beat the Panthers Saturday night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals with a third-period blitz. The series-opener was tied 2-2 after two periods. It should’ve been 3-2 in favor of Florida, but Vegas goaltender Adin Hill made the save of the series in the second period. Vegas scored three in an 11-minute stretch of the third, including Mark Stone’s stellar steal-to-wrister that made it 4-2 inside seven minutes, effectively icing Game 1.

 

A late scuffle led to the ejections of Matthew Tkachuk and two others, giving the Golden Knights a four-minute power play to find goal number five.

 

Heroic Hill: The Vegas net-protector’s .938 save percentage in his first postseason run ranks first among this year’s playoff goaltenders. The best career-long playoff save percentage belongs to Tim Thomas (.933). Needless to say, Hill’s efforts have made Vegas borderline unbeatable.

 

Game 1 Stat Leaders

S. Theodore (VGK): 1 goal, 1 assist

J. Eichel (VGK): 2 assists

A. Hill (VGK): 33 saves

 

Watch: Golden Knights Beat Panthers in Game 1 (5-2)

 

Stanley Cup Finals

Gm 2: Panthers at Golden Knights (Tonight, 8:00 pm ET)

 

Read More

ESPN: Stanley Cup Final 2023: What We Learned in Game 1

Yahoo! Sports: Golden Knights Know From Experience, Game 1 Victory Doesn’t Ensure Stanley Cup Finals

 

Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images