Associated Press
Florida Panthers defenseman Josh Mahura (28) and Vegas Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson (20) fight during the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla.
Published Saturday, June 10, 2023 | 2:19 p.m.
Updated Saturday, June 10, 2023 | 8:16 p.m.
Final: Golden Knights 3, Panthers 2
It was a hectic ending, but the Golden Knights are one win away from winning the Stanley Cup.
Vegas withstood a Florida rally to hang on for the 3-2 win in Game 4 tonight at FLA Live Arena. The Stanley Cup will be inside T-Mobile Arena for Game 5 on Tuesday, where the Golden Knights will have a chance to win their first championship.
Chandler Stephenson scored twice, and William Karlsson added the other goal for the Golden Knights as they improved to 4-1 following a loss this postseason. Adin Hill made 29 saves for his 10th win of the playoffs.
The Golden Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second period but the Panthers scored twice to rally. Despite getting a 6-on-4 with 17 seconds remaining after a delay of game penalty on Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas hung on for the win.
Read below for updates throughout the game.
7:06, third period: Golden Knights 3, Panthers 2
The Cardiac Cats are not going away.
Panthers captain Sasha Barkov scored on a one-timer at 3:49 of the third, his first goal of the series, to cut the Golden Knights' lead to 3-2 as we approach halfway through the third period.
The Golden Knights led this game 3-0 and seemed to be in control, but the Panthers have found their game in the last few minutes. Given how Game 3 ended, a push is likely coming from the Panthers.
A lot of time left in this one. Buckle up.
End of second period: Golden Knights 3, Panthers 1
Sans a fluky goal for the Panthers late in the second, things are looking good for the Golden Knights after two.
After Stephenson and Karlsson pushed the lead to three, Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour got one back at 16:09 to cut the lead to 3-1 after 40 minutes.
It was going to take a bounce or deflection to get Florida on the board with how Vegas was taking away the middle of the ice, and that's what happened. Montour's shot from the wall deflected off defenseman Shea Theodore's leg and trickled by Adin Hill to get the Panthers on the board.
That was the only bright spot for the Panthers in the second. If not for goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers might have found themselves down more than three at one point. He's the reason why the Panthers still have a shot.
But the margin for error is thin. The Golden Knights are 14-0 this postseason when scoring three goals or more. Another 20 minutes like that, and they'll take a 3-1 series lead back to Las Vegas.
13:15, second period: Golden Knights 3, Panthers 0
The rout is on.
The Golden Knights have taken the game over thanks to goals from Chandler Stephenson and William Karlsson midway through the second period, leading 3-0 in Game 4.
Stephenson scored his second at 7:28 of the period off a pass from Mark Stone at the corner to make it 2-0. It's the second multi-goal game of the postseason for Stephenson.
The last time there was a hat trick in the Stanley Cup Final? Peter Forsberg in Game 2 in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche against the Panthers.
Karlsson made it 3-0 at 11:04 off a rebound from a shot by Nicolas Hague. It was Karlsson's first goal since scoring twice in Game 6 against Dallas in the conference final.
The Golden Knights have taken over the game with their forecheck and relentless pressure. They've continued to keep Florida to the outside offensively with no second-chance opportunities to show for it.
End of first period: Golden Knights 1, Panthers 0
A fairly even game through the first 20 minutes, but the home crowd was taken out of it after Chandler Stephenson's goal.
Adin Hill stopped all 12 shots he faced in the first period, including a kick save on Matthew Tkachuk on the right side of the crease. That was the only dangerous chance to note from the Panthers. The Golden Knights kept nearly everything to the outside and made life easy for Hill.
There was not a single penalty in the period, either. Vegas and Florida combined for 248 penalty minutes in the first three games, with the 30 combined from Game 3 the fewest of the series. One has to think that favors the Golden Knights if it stays at 5-on-5.
1:39, first period: Golden Knights 1, Panthers 0
The Golden Knights are off and running.
Chandler Stephenson scored on a breakaway less than two minutes into the game to give Vegas an early 1-0 lead in Game 4.
Stephenson received a pass from Zach Whitecloud down the middle of the ice and beat Sergei Bobrovsky five-hole for his ninth goal of the playoffs.
It's Stephenson's first goal since Game 5 of the Western Conference Final.
The Golden Knights preached about providing a response on the road. A combination of aggressive forechecking and quality saves by Adin Hill at the other end have put the road team in a good position to start.
Golden Knights looking to respond as they have all season
SUNRISE, Fla. — It might not be such a big secret why the Golden Knights have responded well after losses this season.
“I think it’s because we’re a good team,” coach Bruce Cassidy said.
The Golden Knights wouldn’t be two wins away from the Stanley Cup if they weren’t good. They also wouldn’t be halfway to their first-ever championship if they didn’t find that extra gear to bounce back after defeat.
While the 18-12 record after a loss during the regular season is impressive, the Golden Knights are 3-1 these playoffs coming off a loss; the lone defeat coming in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against Dallas.
Vegas went on to win 6-0 in Game 6.
The Golden Knights aren’t facing mounting pressure after the Florida Panthers rallied to steal Game 3 of the Cup Final and cutting the series lead to 2-1 in favor of Vegas. Their track record of bouncing back gives confidence to why the Golden Knights feel they can rebound in Game 4 tonight at FLA Live Arena.
“I think some of that has to do with the experience and the veteran leadership on the team,” center Jack Eichel said, “but also just the character of the guys and our ability to come back after losing games and having a good performance.”
The Golden Knights have bounced back emphatically after a loss this postseason.
Following the 5-1 loss in Game 1 of the first round against Winnipeg, Vegas answered with a 5-2 win. The Golden Knights answered a 5-1 loss to Edmonton in Game 2 with a 5-1 win of their own in Game 3, then followed the 4-1 loss in Game 4 with a 4-3 win in Game 5 back at home.
The only blemish was the Golden Knights losing 4-2 in Game 5 at home against the Stars, missing on a chance to close the series at home.
While the consensus of the Golden Knights’ locker room says they did a lot of good things in the 3-2 overtime loss in Game 3 on Thursday, there are adjustments to be made. Vegas captain Mark Stone noted how gave the Panthers too much open ice down the middle, which led to two of Florida’s goals.
“I think it matters in the result,” Stone said. “We could’ve lost that game 7-1, but it still feels the same. It’s a loss.”
Vegas has also gotten good production from Adin Hill when he’s needed to rebound.
Hill followed up the Game 4 loss to Edmonton with 32 saves in Game 5, then 38 straight stops in the Game 6 clincher two nights later. Against Dallas, Hill followed the 39-save effort in the Game 4 overtime loss with 30 saves in Game 5 and kept it tied midway through the third before the Stars pulled away.
The 23 shots Hill faced on Thursday were tied for the fewest he’s seen this postseason in a start.
“We’re certainly not immune from taking time to find our game,” Cassidy said. “But I think in general, it’s probably calm in goal and a veteran group that knows what’s at stake.”
The Golden Knights won’t change from the course that got them here. The lineup isn’t expected to change, and Cassidy reiterated there’s no need to deviate from the gameplan that’s worked in 14 victories before.
Most notably, in the three wins after a loss.
“We know they’re going to have our best, and we’re going to have to match their intensity,” Eichel said. “That’s the beauty of the game.”
Golden Knights projected lineup
Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Jonathan Marchessault
Reilly Smith - William Karlsson - Michael Amadio
Brett Howden - Chandler Stephenson - Mark Stone
William Carrier - Nicolas Roy - Keegan Kolesar
Alec Martinez - Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague - Zach Whitecloud
Adin Hill
Game 4, Stanley Cup Final
When: 5 p.m.
Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Fla.
TV: TNT
Radio: Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM
Odds: Panthers -115, Golden Knights -101; O/U 5.5 (Westgate SuperBook)
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
