In only their sixth NHL season, the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers 9-3 on Tuesday night in Las Vegas to capture the first Stanley Cup for the club in five games.
The Golden Knights, an NHL expansion team that debuted before the 2017–18 season, were led by Vegas captain Mark Stone, who scored a goal in each period.
According to the NHL, Stone, 31, becomes the first player to score a hat-trick in a Stanley Cup-clinching win since 1922.
Each player took a turn raising the renowned trophy after the match, as is custom.
The event, according to Stone, was “unbelievable,” according to TNT. I just focused on my teammates’ gaze. One of the wackiest emotions I’ve ever experienced. It becomes much more precious just knowing that I accomplished it alongside my 25, 30, or more closest pals.
In front of a boisterous crowd both inside and outside T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night, the Golden Knights’ offensive brilliance was once again on full display. The Golden Knights became the third NHL club to score five or more goals in a single Stanley Cup Final series across three or more games.
The victory is Las Vegas’ second significant victory in the last two years. The Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA defeated the Connecticut Sun in a best-of-seven series 3-1 to claim the league title in 2022.
The carnage began in the second session as the newly crowned champions scored four times and built a 6-1 advantage into the final 20 minutes. Vegas led 2-0 at the first interval.
Adin Hill, the goaltender for the Golden Knights, let up two goals but kept the Panthers at bay in the third with a number of excellent saves.
As the top player in the playoffs, Jonathan Marchessault was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. But he denied taking credit for the victory.
“You know, one night it’s one guy, the next night it’s another guy,” he said to TNT. “That was our attitude this year. We have a great group of colleagues in there. Everybody contributed at various points.
With a barrage of goals, Vegas pulls away.
With 8:08 remaining in the first period, Stone scored a shorthanded goal to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead. Less than two minutes later, Nicolas Hague of Vegas chipped the puck into the net for a 2-0 advantage after the ball slipped past Florida goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Panthers were already in a tough situation in the series when superstar Matthew Tkachuk was unable to play in Game 5 due to a broken sternum. Tkachuk had led the Panthers in the playoffs with 24 points and 11 goals, some of which were game-winners.
Aaron Ekblad’s goal, assisted by Nick Cousins, helped the Panthers reduce the lead to one early in the second period. With 17:45 left in the second, Ekblad’s second playoff goal made it 2-1.
Alec Martinez gave the Golden Knights a two-goal advantage once again with a wrist shot that went over Bobrovsky’s right shoulder and into the top shelf. The score was 3-1 Golden Knights with 9:32 remaining in the period.
When Reilly Smith scored off a deft feed from William Karlsson to his open teammate, Vegas increased their advantage to three points.With 7:47 remaining in the second quarter, Vegas led 4-1.
With 2:45 left before halftime, Stone scored Vegas’ fifth goal by burying his second on a deft cross-ice pass from Brett Howden.
With just a few seconds remaining in the first, Florida failed to move the puck out of the defensive zone, and Smith scooped it up at the blue line, causing disaster for the Panthers. Michael Amadio received a pass from him in front of the goal, and his rebound shot squeaked by Bobrovsky.
Ivan Barbashev of the Golden Knights increased the score to 7-1 in the third period, while Florida’s Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett added insurance goals.
Florida played with six skaters as Stone completed his hat-trick with an empty-net goal to make the score 8-3. The final score was changed to 9-3 by Nicolas Roy with little over a minute remaining in the game.
The Golden Knights made it back to the Stanley Cup Final for a second time in their brief existence after reaching it in their first season as a club.
“To be honest, that agony was difficult. Because you’re so close yet so far away, it took me about two months, if not a full year, to get over it, according to Marchessault, a member of the team for all six seasons. He said that his strategy had altered and pointed to the current situation. Since day one, our crew has been outstanding. Also, we prevail.
The Golden Knights won the title, becoming them the second-fastest club to do so in the league’s modern existence (since 1943–44). In their fifth NHL season, the Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup.
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