2023 NHL Stanley Cup Final – Page 3

By NHL Public Relations

June 11, 2023

The Golden Knights are one win away from becoming Stanley Cup champions. They will head home with a 3-1 series lead after fending off another late comeback attempt by the Panthers.

For the first time, the Golden Knights will play a game with a chance to clinch the Stanley Cup. That contest will take place Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena – nine days shy of the seven-year anniversary of the League officially granting an expansion franchise to Las Vegas.

Original Golden Knights forward William Karlsson secured the game-winning goal in Game 4 to help Vegas set up its first-ever potential Cup-clinching game, Tuesday on home ice at T-Mobile Arena.

Goals by Chandler Stephenson (2-0—2) and William Karlsson (1-0—1) allowed Vegas to build a 3-0 lead, but Florida pushed back with another multi-point effort by defenseman Brandon Montour (1-1—2) and drew a power play in the last 20 seconds of regulation as Game 4 went down to the final buzzer. Vegas goaltender Adin Hill made 11 of his 29 saves in the third period, including eight in the last 10 minutes of play, and threw out the pad for good measure to deny Matthew Tkachuk after time had expired.

The Golden Knights can become the 23rd club to win the Stanley Cup since 1927 when the trophy first was competed for only by NHL teams and the 21st active franchise to claim the prized trophy.

The Golden Knights (6th season) could become the seventh franchise in NHL history to require six or fewer seasons to win their first Stanley Cup. The only clubs to do so are the Maple Leafs (1918 as Arenas; 1st season), Montreal Maroons (1926; 2nd season), Rangers (1928; 2nd season), original Ottawa Senators (1920; 3rd season), Bruins (1929; 5th season) and Oilers (1984; 5th season).

Source: NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Final Edition – June 11, 2023

Adin Hill #33 of the Vegas Golden Knights makes the save against Sam Bennett #9 of the Florida Panthers in the final seconds of the third period in Game Four of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Final at FLA Live Arena on June 10, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

By Dan Rosen @drosennhl / NHL.com Senior Writer

June 10, 2023

SUNRISE, Fla. — Chandler Stephenson scored two goals, and the Vegas Golden Knights moved one step closer to their first Stanley Cup championship by holding on to defeat the Florida Panthers 3-2 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final at FLA Live Arena on Saturday.

William Karlsson scored the game-winning goal, Mark Stone and Nicolas Hague each had two assists, and Adin Hill made 29 saves for Vegas.

The Golden Knights lead the best-of-7 series 3-1 and can win the Stanley Cup at home Tuesday, when it plays Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena (8 p.m. ET; TNT, truTV, CBC, SN, TVAS).

Brandon Montour and Aleksander Barkov each had a goal and an assist after Vegas took a 3-0 lead. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves for the Panthers.

Vegas improved to 7-3 on the road in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The home team had won the previous three games in the Stanley Cup Final.

Stephenson got the Golden Knights started by scoring 1:39 into the first period to make it 1-0.

Chandler Stephenson #20 of the Vegas Golden Knights scores a goal past Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Florida Panthers during the first period in Game Four of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Final at FLA Live Arena on June 10, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Matthew Tkachuk and Aaron Ekblad went for a change after the puck came out of Florida’s defensive zone at the right point, but Zach Whitecloud got it and found Stephenson cutting into the open space in the middle. He dashed past Sam Bennett and beat Bobrovsky through the five-hole.

Stephenson scored again at 7:28 of the second period with a glove-side one-timer from above the hash marks to make it 2-0.

Stone entered the zone with possession and Brett Howden drove to the net to create some space in the middle. Stone, in the left face-off circle, found Stephenson for the one-timer.

Vegas made it 3-0 less than four minutes later, when Karlsson scored from the left circle off a rebound of Hague’s shot at 11:04.

Jonathan Marchessault won the puck on a forecheck behind the goal line and got it out to Hague. Radko Gudas blocked his shot, but the puck came to Karlsson, who put it in.

The assist extended Marchessault’s point streak to nine games (eight goals, six assists).

Montour scored on a shot that pinballed off Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore at 16:09 to cut Vegas’ lead to 3-1.

Barkov made it 3-2 at 3:50 of the third period, scoring with a one-timer from the right circle off a backhand pass from Montour, who was below in the left circle.

Bobrovsky stopped Marchessault on a semi-breakaway with 3:25 remaining to keep it a one goal game.

The Panthers pulled the goalie with 2:26 remaining, got a power play with 18 seconds to play, but Hill stopped Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe with his left pad to keep the puck out and preserve the win.

Source: nhl.com