{"id":137899,"date":"2023-06-03T10:30:30","date_gmt":"2023-06-03T14:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=137899"},"modified":"2023-06-03T07:37:24","modified_gmt":"2023-06-03T11:37:24","slug":"golden-knights-vs-panthers-stanley-cup-final-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2023\/06\/03\/golden-knights-vs-panthers-stanley-cup-final-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegas Golden Knights vs Florida Panthers Stanley Cup Final Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

It all comes down to this. The Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights vs the Florida Panthers will kick off Saturday, with each team in pursuit of their first Stanley Cup victory. The teams have had very different paths to get to this point. Vegas came into the playoffs as the number one seed in the West and have lived up to the hype, taking out the Winnipeg Jets<\/a>, Edmonton Oilers<\/a>, and Dallas Stars.<\/a> The Panthers have been the Cinderella story of the 2023 Playoffs, defeating Cup favorites Boston Bruins<\/a>, Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a>, and Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> on their way to the finals. Take a look at our biggest keys for the series.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Golden Knights vs Panthers Stanley Cup Final Preview<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Defensive Lockdown\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Both teams have big names up front. Jack Eichel<\/a>, Mark Stone<\/a>, and William Karlsson<\/a> have led the charge for the Golden Knights, while it\u2019s been all Matthew Tkachuk<\/a>, Aleksander Barkov<\/a>, and Carter Verhaeghe for the Panthers. However, the series may come down to the players on the blue line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vegas has played extremely well defensively throughout the playoffs. They\u2019ve handled some of the most impressive offensive teams on the way to the Cup. In each of their series, they\u2019ve been able to limit the top players on the other team. The defencemen have been excellent, but it’s been the contributions from their forwards that have made the difference. Both William Karlsson and Jack Eichel have been noticeable defensively<\/a>. Look for them to get significant minutes against Tkachuk and Barkov.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Panthers defence has been important on their march to the Cup. They\u2019ve allowed only 2.68 goals per game<\/a> in the playoffs, and only six goals against in their sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals. It\u2019s allowed them to keep games close, which has been beneficial for the team. The Panthers are 9-1 in one-goal games throughout the postseason, and 6-0 in overtime. They\u2019ve thrived on that razor-thin margin, and if they can limit the scoring from the Knights, they may be able to hold onto victories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

American Stars\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Hockey might be Canada\u2019s game, but it\u2019s two American stars headlining the series. Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk have led their teams all season, but both have reached another level in the playoffs. Tkachuk has 21 points in the postseason, including three overtime goals. He scored with 4.9 seconds left in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final to complete the sweep and send the Hurricanes packing. He\u2019s scored big, timely goals for the Panthers, and it\u2019s propelled the team past some of the biggest threats in the league.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

MATTHEW TKACHUK, ARE YOU KIDDING?! \ud83d\ude31\ud83d\ude31\ud83d\ude31 <\/p>\n

HE SCORES WITH 4 SECONDS LEFT IN REGULATION AND SENDS FLORIDA TO THE #STANLEYCUP<\/a> FINAL! pic.twitter.com\/Om5qu9d1T7<\/a><\/p>\n

— NHL (@NHL) May 25, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n