It’s about time the Panthers fans could finally won a Stanley Cup Finals game. The Florida Panthers NARROWLY avoided the catastrophic 0-3 deficit to the Vegas Golden Knights as they scored a late game-tying goal and a fluky overtime winner to claw back 2-1 in the series.
Patrick Roy would have been fuming if he was in net for the Panthers OT winner.
The Florida Panthers managed to crawl back into the series off the backs of heroics from the usual suspects, Carter Verhaeghe, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Matthew Tkachuk, as they won Game 3 3-2 in overtime, giving them a 2-1 football into the series. And, to be honest, they are EXTREMELY LUCKY to be sitting here today with a win.
This game was a complete 180 change from the utter bloodbaths we’ve witnessed in Las Vegas as the Panthers finally seemed to get the memo that racking up the most meaningless hits and scrums in a game doesn’t actually win you anything. Now, I’m not criticizing teams that lay the body and get physical (that sounds strange but I’m sticking with it) after the whistle as it not only shows one’s passion and heart, but it also makes for an infinitely better product to watch.
You wouldn’t watch a football game if tackling was outlawed, a basketball game if LeBron James-esque net drives going through two defenders was banned, a soccer/football game with no last-ditch tackles, or a baseball game that prevented grand slams. All of these aspects make their, respective, sports the global phenomena they are today, and that’s the way hitting is in hockey.
Yet, the Panthers in Games 1 and 2 were hitting for the sake of destroying the opponent, not winning the puck and creating scoring chances on the opposite end of the ice. And that’s why they got blown out 12-4 across two games.
Nevertheless, as I said, the Panthers and Golden Knights really weren’t laying the body unless it presented a key opportunity to break up a play or create a scoring chance as Florida only had 14 hits, while the Golden Knights outhit them…by just 18 of their own.
Of course, there was the usual board presses, defensive collapses when a player entered the defensive zone, and countless pushdowns/shoves away from the puck, but the massive open-ice hits that defined the first two games were stored away in favor of skill, powerplays, and positioning. Well, except for Matthew Tkachuk as he was ROCKED by Keegan Kolessar (0 PTS, 1 hit, 0 +/-) early on in the game…but he would get his revenge later.
As for the actual goalscoring, it was the Panthers who found the back of the net first as Brandon Montour (1 G, 1 PT, +1 +/-) had a seeing-eye point shot that somehow missed four players, Adin Hill (.870% SV, 20 saves, 3 GAA on 23 shots) in net, and found its way into the roof of the net to give Florida a 1-0 lead.
Getting off to a fast start like the Panthers did (Montour scored just 4 minutes into the game) was such a massive boost of confidence for this team as it not only gave them the courage and assurance they could go toe-to-toe with the Knights, but it also got a raucous, crazed Florida fanbase behind them.
And that support was desperately needed for the next 50 minutes of play as the Golden Knights TOOK OVER.
Outshooting Florida 19-13 in the first 2 periods and forcing the Panthers defense into committing six penalties, the Golden Knights took the momentum back from the Panthers through their lethal powerplay as Mark Stone’s (1 G 1 A, 2 PTS, -1 +/-) PPG tied the game with 4 minutes left in the 1st period and Jonathan Marchessault’s (1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS, 0 +/-), who’s probably the Conn Smyth leader for Las Vegas, PP strike gave them the lead in the 2nd.
Once again, the Vegas defensive core of Pietrangelo (0 PTS, 1 hits, 0 +/-), Martinez (0 PTS, 2 hits, 0 +/-), Hauge (0 PTS, 2 hits, -3 +/-) , McNabb (0 PTS, 0 hits, 0 +/-) , Whitecloud (0 PTS, 1 hit, -3 +/-), and Theodore (1 A, 1 PT, 0 hits, 0 +/-) clogged up the middle of the ice, suffocated their own defensive zone, and didn’t allow a Panthers shot without Florida having to fight tooth and nail to generate it.
If their forwards were a little more lethal during 5 vs. 5 (0 goals) and not just the powerplay (2-6, 33% 2 goals), then the Golden Knights would be looking at closing out the series in Game 4 with a 3-0 series lead.
Though, it’s only fair to point out the reason why the Golden Knights couldn’t score was down to Sergei Bobrovsky (.926% SV, 25 saves, 2 GAA on 27 shots) standing on his head for the Panthers.
Whether it was a mini 2-0 save, a wide-open look from inside the faceoff circle, net drives, PP one-timers, odd-man rushes, incredible pad-stretches, breakaways, or a little help from his posts, Bob was not getting beat with any old Vegas shot as he made the Golden Knights work for their two goals.
Truthfully, this game should have been over in the 1st period as Vegas had numerous “A+” chances that were going in for them prior to last night, yet Bobrovsky stood tall and allowed the big boys on offense to steal the game.
With under 2 minutes remaining and the Panthers down 2-1 and pressing for the tying goal, a one-time blast from the right side of the boards came rifling off Adin Hill’s pads and fell smack dab in the middle of the crease…where Matthew Tkachuk (1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS, +3 +/-) was eagerly waiting to pounce home the tying goal.
And, after a huge penalty kill in overtime due to a stupid penalty on Gustav Forsling (1 A, 1 PT, 0 hits, +2 +/-), Carter Verhaeghe (1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS, +2 +/-) picked up the puck from the blue line and rifled the puck over Hill’s shoulder to give the Panthers their first Stanely Cup Finals win of the series, the first of the franchise’s 30-year history, and send Patrick Roy into a blind rage with all those rats flying down from the stands.
It really was a cool moment to watch the Panthers fans celebrate the franchise’s first ever win in the Stanley Cup Finals after so much pain and misery over the last 30 years…but I think this was more of a “get out of jail for free” card moment than a series changer.
The Golden Knights were by far the better team and only lost because Bobrovsky stood on his head for the first 50 minutes of the game.
If they can’t get a similar performance out of Bob or their forwards aren’t able to capitalize on their scoring chances as effectively as they did last night, then the Golden Knights will win Game 4.
Images Source: Featured Image:
