Thursday, June 8, 2023

Panthers Outlast Golden Knights In Game 3

     The Florida Panthers survived the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime at FLA Live Areana in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night. The Golden Nuggets lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. 
     The Panthers are 7-0 in overtime during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs It was the Panthers first home postseason game in over two weeks. 
     The Florida Panthers held their first Stanley Cup Final home game since 1996. The last time was Game 4 of the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals at against the Colorado Avalanche at Miami Arena. The Cats also were victorious in a Stanley Cup Final contest for the first time in franchise history after seven opportunities.  
     Florida broke out to a 1-0 lead at the 4:08 mark of the first period. Matthew Tkachuk backhanded a pass from the left wing. Brandon Montour snapped a shot from above the left circle past Adin Hill for his seventh goal of the playoffs. Eric Staal was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 
     Vegas tied the contest 1-1 on a four-on-three power play with 3:57 left in the first. Shea Theodore angled a pass from the top right circle. Jonathan Marchessault blasted a slap shot from high slot and Mark Stone redirected the puck from the top of the crease by Sergei Bobrovsky for his eighth goal of the postseason. 
     In the second period, the Golden Knights scored again on the power play with 5:01 remaining. Stone backhanded the puck from behind the Cats cage to the right point. Jack Eichel skated forward with the puck and sent a cross-ice pass from the right goal line. Marchessault one-timed a shot from the left-circle dot for his 13th goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Marchessault, a former Panthers player, and Eichel tied a Vegas franchise record with their 23rd points each in a single postseason. 
     The Panthers evened it up 2-2 with 2:13 left in the third period just 17 seconds after they pulled Bobrovsky from the net for an extra attacker. Aaron Ekblad connected a cross-ice pass from the left point. Carter Verhaeghe fired a one-time slapshot from the right wing which was saved. Matthew Tkachuk guided the puck in with a forehand shot from the blue paint for his 11th goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He set a Panthers single postseason record passing Dave Lowry who had 10 goals back in 1996. 
     It became 3-2 for Florida at 4:27 in overtime. Gustav Forsling delivered a diagonal pass in the neutral zone to the right side. Sam Bennett made a square pass from the right point to the middle. Verhaeghe snapped a shot from the top of the zone for his seventh goal in the playoffs. 

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