SUNRISE — Two nights after rallying from behind to win Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final in overtime, the Florida Panthers were back on home ice Saturday — trying to even up the series against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

 

The Knights were able to take control of the night early, jumping out to a three-goal lead halfway through the game — which was very reminiscent of how they started their 7-2 win back in Game 2. 

 

Despite trailing 3-0, the Cardiac Cats didn’t go down without a fight, clawing back to make it a one-goal game early into the third. Unfortunately for Florida, their rally ended up falling short. The Knights held on to win 3-2 — taking a 3-1 series back to Vegas, with a chance to win the Cup on home ice this coming Tuesday.

 

Under two minutes after the first drop of the puck, the Knights were able to get the fast jump in tonight’s game off a bad error from the Panthers. 

 

With Vegas still controlling the puck in the neutral zone, some Panthers, including defenseman Aaron Ekblad went to the bench for a line change. The Knights hit the open seam through the middle of the ice — springing Chandler Stephenson in on a breakaway. 

 

Stepehnson walked in alone on Sergei Bobrovsky and slipped his shot five-hole, putting Vegas up 1-0 just 1:39 into the game. 

 

Despite the early mistake, the Panthers were able to minimize the damage to just that. After 20 the Knights took a 1-0 lead into the break.

 

Another note, the two sides played a completely clean brand of  hockey in the first — at least in the officials minds. Surprisingly no penalties were called in the period. Game 3 had 11 penalties called.

 

The first power play in the game went to the Knights at the 2:52 mark of the second period. Marc Staal went to the box for tripping Mark Stone, who had knocked Staal’s stick out of his hands just seconds before the trip  was called. 

 

The Knights, who had scored two power play goals per game in Games 1-3, had a chance to get their red hot power play on the board again tonight. 

 

Florida played their first kill of the night  well. They adjusted their pk setup well to not give Vegas’ far-side wingers a lane to get the puck and walk in from the circles — which they’ve been extremely good at in this series.

 

Not getting the power play goal didn’t affect the Knights however. At the mark, Chandler Stephenson would get his second goal of the night off a beautifully placed shot above Sergei Bobrovsky — putting Vegas up 2-0. 

 

Minutes after Stephenson’s second goal, William Karlsson put away a rebound — giving the Knights a 3-0 lead just after the midway point of the game.

 

It felt like the wheels were falling off the wagon for the Panthers. Down three goals with no momentum going the other way. Sometimes you need just one shot, or bounce, to get you back into the game. 

 

Facing a three-goal hole before the final intermission, Florida got their bounce and lifeline in. 

 

Brandon Montour floated a non-threatening shot towards the Knights goal which hit two bodies in front before sneaking past Adin Hill. Montour’s eighth goal of the playoffs cut the Knights lead to two and got Florida back into the game. 

 

Vegas would take a 3-1 lead into the final break of regulation. 

 

With a two-goal game entering the third, the next goal would be monumental in the tide of this game. 

 

Florida would be the one to get the pivotal next goal — inching them closer to the equalizr while also preventing a three-goal Vegas lead.

 

Brandon Montour drove the net after picking up a pass from Anton Lundell in the zone. Montour dipped his shoulder and sent a backhand pass across the crease, hitting Sasha Barkov in stride. 

 

The Panthers captain fired a one-timer past Hill, cutting the once three-goal deficit to just one. 

 

Florida not only got themselves back into the game — they got the home crowd back in it as well. 

 

After the Panthers got the early goal to start the third, the pressure was on. Florida piled on the chances, pressing for the crucial tying goal. 

 

Florida would keep that pressure going until the final seconds of the game. 

 

With 17.4 seconds remaining in the game, Knights defenseman Alex Pietreangelo took a delay of game penalty in an attempt to clear the zone. 

 

Florida would have a 6-on-4 man-advantage in the dying seconds of the game. 

 

The Panthers swarmed the crease in a last ditch effort to tie the game — but Adin Hill and the Knights held on to win 3-2 despite a valiant comeback effort by the Panthers. 

 

The Knights leave South Florida with a 3-1 series lead. They can win the Stanley Cup on Tuesday in Vegas.

SUNRISE —  Quietness and frustration could be felt across FLA Live Arena for a large portion of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. With the Panthers on the brink of an 0-3 series deficit, the Panthers were moments away from putting themselves in the toughest hole in sports.   

 

But as this Panthers team has done all season, they got their lifeline in at the last moment and brought joy and relief to the players and fans. 

 

After tying the game with 2:13 left — the Panthers once again clawed back in Comeback Cats fashion, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 off of a Carter Verhaeghe overtime goal to get their first win in the Stanley Cup Final.

 

The Panthers still trail the series 2-1 heading into Saturday’s Game 4 at home, however they got what they came for, a win in Game 3. 

 

Florida hit their home ice jumping tonight, determined to bounce back after their 7-2  blowout loss in Game 2. 

 

The Panthers clearly felt the buzz from the fans in Sunrise — who were seeing their team play in a home Stanley Cup Final game for the first time in 27 years. 

 

The Panthers got the early jump they needed under five minutes into the game.

 

Matthew Tkachuk patiently held onto the puck along the boards before hitting Brandon Montour. Montour walked in from the point and sniped his first goal of the series past Adin Hill. 

 

That one was for his son Kai, who was born earlier this week. 

 

A few shifts later, the Panthers would head to the power play for the first time in the game after Sam Bennett got nailed by a high-stick. As the play was developing, Matthew Tkachuk got laid out at open ice by Keegan Kolesar. Tkachuk would stay on for the power play but that would be it for him in the first. He did not return in the period after playing 3:10. He would however come back to the game in the second period.

 

For whatever reason he was pulled from the game, Tkachuk didn’t seem to be affected when he came back.

 

 “I feel great, I’m ready to go,” Tkachuk said postgame.

 

Florida had Vegas on their heels to start the game, leading 1-0 while holding the Knights to just two shots until the final five minutes of the period. 

 

With the two sides playing 4-on-4 hockey, Anthony Duclair was called for a tripping penalty against the boards. The reaction of head coach Paul Maurice, who was caught saying “wow” on the broadcast, was much like the rest of the arena — questioning the call that put the Knights’ hot  power play on a 4-on-3.

 

In the first two games of the series, Vegas’ power play scored twice a game, and they capitalized on those chances quickly. The early game power play success would be there again tonight for the Knights. 

 

Vegas didn’t let this chance slip away from them. Mark Stone tipped a shot from Jonathan Marchessault past Srgei Bobrosvky — tying the game at 1-1 on Vegas’ only best chance of the period.

 

The two sides would go into the first intermission even.

 

The Vegas power play was once again all over the Panthers tonight. In a repeat of what was seen in Games 1-2, the Knights put up a double on the power play again.

 

With Aleksander Barkov in the box for an interference penalty — yes Barkov — the Knights went to work on the man-advantage again in the second period.

 

Former Panther Jonathan Marchessault has been a thorn in opposition’s sides all postseason, including his old team. Marchessault did it again tonight. He got the puck in his favorite spot around the faceoff circle and buried his 13th goal of the playoffs past Bobrovsky to give Vegas a 2-1 lead. That was his fourth goal of the series.

 

While the Knights have feasted a man up in the series, the Panthers couldn’t buy a power play goal through for a third straight game,

 

The Knights took a 2-1 lead into the third  — outshooting Florida 20-13 through two. 

 

A large portion of the third period was much like the second for the Panthers. Florida couldn’t get their power play going and they didn’t generate too many quality looks 5-on-5 either.

 

Down 2-1 in the game and 0-2 in the series, Florida’s fortune looked to be running out as the game clock quickly trickled down.

 

With 2:13 left in the third, trailing by one and the goalie pulled, Matthew Tkachuk brought life back into the stadium and the Panthers season… again. 

 

With a ton of bodies in front of Adin Hill’s net, Carter Verhaeghe fired a one-timer towards the traffic. Mr. Always in front of the net Matthew Tkachuk had the puck roll right to him. No. 19 tapped in one of the easier goals he will score in his career — the Panthers tied the game at 2-2.

 

Overtime was on the horizon in Sunrise and the momentum belonged to the home team.

 

As the final seconds ticked down on regulation, Vegas got one more big chance to take a 3-0 series lead. 

 

With 12 seconds remaining, Gustav Forsling was called for a tripping penalty — sending Vegas to the power play in basically a sudden death scenario.

 

Replays showed what looked to be an extremely iffy call, dying seconds in the game or not. Paul Maurice showed his displeasure on the bench, uttering his thoughts to the officials on the call.

 

Tied after regulation the two sides would go to overtime in Sunrise, with Vegas starting the first 110 seconds with a power play. 

 

Florida, who already conceded two short handed goals in the game, now had the most important penalty kill of the season. If they didn’t shut down the red hot Knights power play, they’d be down 0-3 in the series.

 

The Panthers would get the job done, getting back to even-strength and getting the already on edge crowd back on their feet.

 

FLA Live Arena did not have to wait much longer to take a deep breath and get back on their feet. 

 

4:27 into OT, Carter Verhaeghe — who will go down as one of the most clutch players in Florida Panthers’ history — added another huge milestone to his resume. 

 

Panthers’ forward Sam Bennett made a slick move at the top of the blue line to cut back to the middle of the ice before he found a wide open Verhaeghe between the faceoff circles.

 

Verhaeghe corralled the puck and immediately fired it towards goal, beating Adin Hill cleanly — winning the game 3-2 for the Panthers.

 

Verhaeghe picked up another playoff overtime goal and more importantly, got the Panthers back in the series with their first win in the Stanley Cup Final. 

 

“To win in overtime in front of our own fans, it gives us a little bit of momentum,” said Verhaeghe. “We saw it right from the start in the first period. We fed off our home crowd.”

 

LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights entered Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final with a 1-0 series lead after their home win on Saturday night.

 

Vegas left T-Mobile Arena on Monday night one game closer to winning the Stanley Cup, defeating the Florida Panthers in Game 2 by a final score of 7-2.

 

The Knights got the first power play of the game — Ryan Lomberg was called for a cross-check. On the same shift, Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas took a hard hit, which looked to be high from Ivan Barbashev. Gudas immediately left the game and did not return. 

 

On their first power play of the night, Vegas didn’t take too long to get on the board. Jonathan Marchessault walked in from the top of the faceoff circle and sniped it above Sergei Bobrovsky, giving Vegas a 1-0 lead. 

 

Florida looked completely outclassed in the opening period. Vegas’ breakout and transition game was a threat basically every shift — while their defensive play was just as good with their shot blocking and lane clogging. 

 

The Panthers were being outmuscled, outskated and outplayed.  

 

Down one, Florida’s got their first chance on the power play. Vying for the tying goal, the Panthers had generated multiple quality chances — but they ran into a brick wall in Adin Hill. Hill’s big saves kept Florida off the board, and pumped up the already rampant T-Mobile Arena crowd.

 

Right after a successful kill, the Knights took a two-goal lead. Alec Martinez scored in a similar spot that Marchessault did, just on the opposite side of the ice — beating Bobrovsky to put the Knights up 2-0.

 

Vegas went into the first intermission up 2-0.

 

The misfortune for the Panthers quickly followed them into the second. 2:59 into the period, Vegas made their lead three, off a pretty calm shot from down low by Nicolas Roy. Bobrovsky didn’t see it.

 

The onslaught didn’t end there. 7:10 into the period, Brett Howden put away Vegas’ fourth goal of the game. Bobrovsky’s night would come to an end before the midway point in the second — Alex Lyon would come in and finish the game. 

 

Vegas’ two second period goals would be it for that frame, but the period wouldn’t end without some tempers flaring. 

Minutes before the second intermission, Jack Eichel was caught in his tracks by a full speed Matthew Tkachuk at open ice. Tkachuk hit a falling Eichel’s shoulder hard — popping his helmet as he hit the ice. Eichel would head to the locker room after the hit, while the Knights made their way to Tkachuk. 

 

Hands were thrown from all sides of the ice while off-setting minors filled up the score sheet. Tkachuk and Barbashev would come out of the mess the most affected — both receiving 10 minute misconducts in addition to their roughing minors.

 

Vegas took a 4-0 lead into the final break.

 

With Tkachuk serving a 2 and a 10 for most of the third and Radko Gudas leaving the game due to injury, Florida had to spend most of the third period skating with 10 forwards and 6 defensemen (Panthers dressed 11 forwards, 7 defensemen).

 

Florida started the final period with a small but important lifeline at the time in a 4-0 game. 14 seconds into the third, Anton Lundell finally got the Panthers on the board from a shot that redirected off a Knights’ player. It wasn’t pretty, but it went in.

 

Despite a quick start to the third with an early goal, the small amount of hope Florida had was short lived. Two minutes after Lundell cut the deficit to three, an unmarked Marchessault scored his second goal of the game — Vegas went up 5-1.

 

Matthew Tkachuk did end up returning to the game — for a few minutes. He scored Florida’s second goal after Vegas got their sixth, then he got thrown out of the game the following shift.

The Knights successfully defended their home ice in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. They’ll fly to Sunrise with all the momentum and a 2-0 series lead.