Stanley Cup Final Game 5 live blog: Panthers vs. Golden Knights

Welcome to Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers. NHL.com Editor-in-Chief Bill Price was high atop T-Mobile Arena to provide all the sights, sounds and highlights from what was a historic night in Vegas.

RELATED: [Complete Stanley Cup Final coverage]

10:55 p.m. ET

And that's it. The Vegas Golden Knights are the 2023 Stanley Cup champions, icing the championship with a dominant 9-3 performance at T-Mobile Arena.

This place is busting at the seams. Nicolas Roy made it 9-3 with under a minute left after Mark Stone made it a 8-3 with an empty-net goal - his third of the game - resulting in a shower of hats from all levels of the arena.

I don't think anyone is going to miss their hat because they will be able to buy Stanley Cup championship hats any day now.

I have only been covering the Stanley Cup Final for seven years, but I would have to say this is the most dominant performance I have seen.

I know Matthew Tkachuk is out for Florida and that was a big loss, but Vegas has been the better team for pretty much the entire series. In fact, if not for Florida's late goal in Game 3, this could have been a sweep.

Now the NHL.com team has to go to work to bring all the postgame reaction from ice level.

So be sure to check the website or app all night to get the best Cup Final coverage anywhere.

And thanks again, not only for following this blog during the Cup Final, but for following our coverage all season long.

We have a really great team of writers and editors who absolutely love hockey and love giving fans as much coverage as possible.

We won't be gone long, we have the NHL Awards and Draft next week.

10:40 p.m. ET

Jack Eichel is having quite a night for himself.

He has three assists tonight and 20 for the playoffs. Think about all he's been through. He never made the playoffs in Buffalo. He had the serious neck injury and got the experimental surgery after being traded to Vegas.

He missed the playoffs last season and now here he is, about to hoist the Stanley Cup.

There are so many great stories on this Vegas team - Adin Hill, Mark Stone, the original Misfits. The list goes on and one.

One Vegas fan is having a really good night. The prize for the 50/50 drawing in here was $221,310. Not a bad night: see your team win the Stanley Cup, go home with a small fortune.

A big reason is the crowd here tonight is 19,058, the largest crowd in Vegas Golden Knights history.

The "We Want The Cup" chants have started again, but Florida just scored to make it 7-3. People aren't getting nervous - yet.

They just showed the scene at Toshiba Plaza outside. I think they are going to party into the night out here. Remember, it's only 7:40 p.m. out here. It's stil daylight.

It's 7-3 Vegas with under 6:43 left and the Florida net is empty.

10:30 p.m. ET

As we get closer to the final whistle, the questions being asked are:

1. Who will captain Mark Stone hand the Cup to first?

2. Who will be named Conn Smythe as the MVP of the Playoffs?

3. How long will the party in Vegas last?

4. Will Adin Hill ever give up another goal?

Here are my answers:

1. Jonathan Marchessault

2 Jonathan Marchessault (although the fans are chanting MVP for Hill)

3. August

4. Yes

There is 11:38 left and it's certainly looking like the Vegas Golden Knights will be the 2023 Stanley Cup champions. They just made it 7-2 one a goal by Ivan Barbashev.

They will be the second straight Western Conference Final team to win it after the Colorado Avalanche won last year.

10:19 p.m. ET

The third period has begun and it feels like New Year's Eve in here, with a slow countdown to zero on the clock.

The Golden Knights lead 6-1 after an absolutely dominant four-goal second period.
How dominant? 12 different Golden Knights players have at least one point tonight.

The "We Want the Cup" chant has started and it's getting louder and louder. I think they are going to get it.

I saw Phil Pritchard, one of the Keepers of the Cup, on the event level before the game. I'm sure him and Mike Bolt, the other keeper, are getting it ready for its time in the spotlight before everyone starts kissing it.

There is already rumblings/speculation of where and when the parade would be.
When the Aces of the WNBA won it, the parade was down The Strip.

Of course, a daytime parade down The Strip at this time of the year would be in 100-degree heat.

Freemont St. - which is the covered section of the old downtown area - is a possibility, too, especially with the Circa Hotel/Casino down in that area. That's the hotel with the big Stadium Swim area.

I'm sure they could hold it at "Moon Doggies" and it would be a blast.

9:57 p.m. ET

It's gone from bad to worse for Florida as Vegas makes it 6-1 with 1.2 seconds left in the second after a mad scramble in front.

The goal goes to Michael Amadio.

So with 20 minutes left in the game - and likely the NHL season - Vegas leads 6-1.
We've seen spurts like this from Vegas in the playoffs, but that may have been the Golden Knights most dominant period of the postseason (talk about good timing).

Florida has been as resilient a team we've seen all season, but it's hard to believe they can climb this hill.

As a great man once told me, "We may be witnessing a coronation tonight."

9:51 p.m. ET

The Golden Knights are pouring it on now, leading 5-1 with 2:45 left after the second goal of the game by Mark Stone.

And the "We Want The Cup" chants have begun.

And I think the party has begun, too.

The Golden Knights have scored three times in the period and have pretty much been in the Florida end all night.

We mentioned Alec Martinez in the last post. It was nine years ago tonight he scored the Cup winning goal in OT against the Rangers to ice the 2014 Cup.

9:40 p.m. ET

After looking a bit off their game for a few following the Ekblad goal, the Golden Knights put the pressure on the Panthers and cash in on a goal by Alec Martinez with 9:23 left in the second period.

It was a totally dominant shift from Vegas, which peppered Sergei Bobrovsky, forcing him to make multiple saves. But Martinez, who knows a few things about winning a Stanley Cup (ask any Rangers fan you know), buries the wrist shot from the face-off circle.

And the domination continues with Reilly Smith scoring with 7:47 left in the second and just like that it's 4-1 and man, the party feels like it's about to get started in here. The assist come from William Karlsson and Shea Theodore, all original Golden Knights,

Hell, the Elvis impersonator in the crowd is starting to shake his hips.

It feels like Vegas just flipped a switch midway through the second and well, they are 27:33 away from the Stanley Cup.

9:25 p.m. ET

Hold the phone, the party, whatever your expression is.

Aaron Ekblad just scored 2:15 into the second period and just like that it's a 2-1 game.

The goal has quieted the place down a bit and put everyone back on edge, but they have a "Go Knights Go" chant going.

It's exactly what Florida needed before the game got out of hand.

We have a celebrity sighting up here in the press box and I don't mean Dan Rosen. Dan just spotted "Entourage" star and New York Islanders fan Kevin Connolly up in the press box.

There was no word if he was partaking in the wall of candy.

9:16 p.m. ET

The second period is about to begin, with the Golden Knights leading 2-0.

The Florida Panthers, playing without Matthew Tkachuk, clearly need a goal to get back in this game, and they need to do it before Vegas gets another one.

Though it's loud in here, I get the sense the Golden Knights fans don't want to start the party just yet. They all know how resilient Florida has been all season so nothing is over until the final horn.

A few games ago I said I was saving my new blue suit for tonight in case I get to go on the ice - and possible will be shown on TV -- after the game. I did get a compliment on my suit, but it was a guy who borrowed a pair of glasses from me the other day, so I think he was just being nice.

Of course, he works for the Golden Knights, so maybe he's just in a good mood.

And why not, Vegas is 40 minutes away from a Stanley Cup. Just think of all the teams in the NHL who haven't won a Cup or haven't won a Cup in decades, and here come the Golden Knights possibly winning it in their sixth season. It's a testament to the job owner Bill Foley, team president George McPhee and GM Kelly McCrimmon have done here, making hard roster and coaching decisions to keep this team a championship contender every season.

9:01 p.m. ET

Not only is it 2-0 Vegas after two periods, and the Stanley Cup is closer than ever, but those two goals in a period mean free tacos for everyone from Taco Bell. What a time to be alive.

Jonthan Marchessault got an assist on the Hague goal, giving him an 11-game point streak. You have to figure he's the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP if Vegas wraps this up.

You can only imagine what's feeling. He was traded away by the Panthers in the expansion draft pretty much so Vegas wouldn't pick another member of the Panthers, and here is 40 minutes away from beating Florida for his first Stanley Cup.

We just heard what could be the last playing of "Blitzkreig Bop" by the Ramones for the season.

Florida is trying to make a push, but Vegas won't give an inch. We've seen Vegas get leads and clamp down, especially in Game 6 against Dallas in the Western Conference Final.

If Florida is going to have any chance it needs to make it a 2-1 game before Vegas makes it 3-0.

20 minutes are in the books here and it's 2-0 Vegas and the crowd is feeling it.

8:50 p.m. ET

Well, that escalated quickly.

It's 2-0 Vegas with 5:19 left in the first period after Nicolas Hague picks up a rebound and puts it past Bobrovsky at the 13:31 mark. The play was started by Jack Eichel, who put the shot on the goal, after a mad scramble it found its way to Hague, who makes it 2-0 with 6:19 left.

And this place is going off the rails - in a good way.

The first goal came shorthanded at 11:52 from captain Mark Stone, who skated in 2-on-1 with Chandler Stephenson and showed immense patience to wait out Bobrovsky and beat him over the glove. Brandon Montour took away the pass, but Stone held the puck and scored his eighth of the playoffs.

The goal came after Florida somehow didn't score on their power play, with Adin Hill making another ridiculous save, this time on Aleksander Barkov.

The decibel level in this place it absolutely off the charts.

Florida clearly needs to something positive to happen as you get the feeling it's getting late early here (thanks, Yogi).

8:41 p.m. ET

The one thing Florida can use as a ray of hope tonight is the idea that Sergei Bobrovsky can steal a game, and he's looking like he can. His first really big save came on a Jonathan Marchessault re-direction during the Vegas power play.

Vegas had some chances and really good zone time, but nothing to show for it.

Now Florida goes to the power after Keegan Kolesar got a little aggressive in hitting Sam Bennett.

We have 9:22 left in the first period, the score is 0-0 and Dan Rosen is done with Max Scherzer.

8:35 p.m. ET

Though no goals have been scored, the first eight minutes of this game have been electric, with good action and good scoring chances on each side.

The crowd is hanging on every pass, every shot, every hit. It's such an incredible scene in here and I can't imagine what it will be like if Vegas gets a lead.

As I said, the first goal - whenever it comes - will be huge. If Vegas gets it, this place will get even louder.

If Florida gets it, it could quiet things down a little in here and give Florida some confidence, especially playing without Matthew Tkachuck.

But now Vegas has a chance, getting the first power play of the game as Aaron Ekblad goes off for interference and the crowd gives him the "Shame" treatment.

8:30 p.m. ET

Much to Dan Rosen's chagrin the glass bangers are back behind Adin Hill's net, but honestly, you can't even hear the sound of the glass banging because it's so loud in here.

Florida has come out hitting and nearly gets an early goal, but Adin Hill just stoned Anton Lundell on the doorstep after a bad turnover from Vegas.

As loud as this crowd is, Florida looks pretty strong early on and has had the better scoring chances, but Adin Hill has been up to the task, already making five saves in the first five minutes.

Vegas also looks like a little tight, which it to be expected.

Not that this is any expert commentary here, but the first goal in this game is going to be huge.

8:18 p.m. ET

How great is this? The Vegas starting lineup consists of five of the six original Golden Knights - Riley Smith, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb. What a tremendous job by coach Bruce Cassidy.

The pregame show is over and what can you say? The entertainment capital of the world knows how to put on a show. There were skating knights, the drummers being lowered from the ceiling and my favorite part, the Golden Knight helmet slowly being lowered from the ceiling and then the Golden Knights skating through it to get on the ice to the "John Wick Style" song.

If you like soul-shaking bass sounds, well, this arena is for you.

One guy who I know appreciates that is Metal Blade Records Founder and good friend of the NHL.com family, Brian Slagel.

He gave me and Shawn P. Roarke of tour of his Metal Blade museum here in Vegas yesterday, and it was awesome. I have to admit up until about a year ago I was not a big metal head, but thanks to me discovering Volbeat last summer and Shawn turning me onto Amon Amarth, I've become quite the metal fan. One band I really enjoy from back in the day is Lizzy Borden, and Lizzy is at the game here tonight with Brian.

I'm sure if Vegas wins this game tonight, there will be millions of people claiming they were here tonight.

The anthem is over and it's time to drop the puck on what could be a historic night in Vegas and the final game of the 2022-23 NHL season. We'll see.

8 p.m. ET

Stanley Cup fever is in full force at T-Mobile Arena as we wait for Game 5 of the Cup Final.

Being in this arena and seeing the scene outside pregame makes you realize how remarkable it is what this franchise has been able to accomplish in six seasons - and what they are on the verge of accomplishing.

As NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika tweeted a few minutes ago, the contrast to owner Bill Foley's first event in Toshiba Plaza six years ago to what unfolded tonight is simply astounding.

Even before the Golden Knights were an official team, he said the goal was to make the playoffs in three seasons and win the Cup in six seasons. Well, they made the Final their first season and are now one win away from winning the Cup in their sixth seasons.

And just so you all know, this is not some bandwagon fanbase. 90% of the fan base is made up of locals. It's a true love affair between these fans and this team.

With Tkachuk out tonight, here is how the Florida lines looked in warmups, courtesy of NHL.com's Tom Gulitti:

Lundell-Barkov-Duclair

Verhaeghe-Bennett-Reinhart

Lomberg-Staal-Cousins

Denisenko-White-Dalpe

Forsling-Ekblad

Staal-Montour

Mahura-Gudas

Bobrovsky

Warmups are over. They are resurfacing the ice and I'm sure Vegas is prepping for the pregame shows of all pregame shows.

And then it's game time

7:45 p.m. ET

Matthew Tkachuk is not on the ice for Panthers during warmups, which is not a good sign for the Panthers. Tkachuk is the heart and soul of Florida and really the main reason they are still playing hockey.

The Panthers all talked about the next-man-up mentality in the past two days, so maybe they knew he wouldn't be in the lineup tonight.

There are two ways of looking at this news: It's another challenge for the Panthers to overcome in a postseason of challenges. And if they can somehow get a win tonight, it was a huge momentum swing in this series.

From a Vegas standpoint, there really is no excuse to not win it all tonight, but stranger things have happened.

One thing you'll notice in Vegas is every casino plays at ton of 80s music. I think they figure it makes people who grew up in that era feel good about themselves and not think twice about blowing tons of money in the casino. Anyway, I heard two really forgotten 80s songs in the Aria today - "Wishing Well" By Terrence Trent D'arby and "There's Something Going On" by Frida (of ABBA fame). Well, there is a lot of wishing here in Vegas and certainly a lot going on.

We are about 30 minutes from puck drop and the teams are on the ice.

7:30 p.m. ET

We are about 10 minutes from warmups and all eyes will be the Florida side of the ice to see if Matthew Tkachuk takes the ice for the Panthers. There are already reports circulating that he will not play tonight, which is a massive loss for the Panthers. We should know for sure in a little bit, but again, a huge loss for Florida if true.

On a less serious note, the Golden Knights have really upped the candy game in the press box. In addition to the usual M&Ms and peanut M&Ms, they have added Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, giant silver gumballs and a variety of Hershey's Kisses. After the .com staff outing to the Peppermill this morning, I promise my diet will start as soon as this series is over.

Will that be tonight? We'll find out soon.

7 p.m. ET

Greetings from Las Vegas, a city that is ready to party like, well, Las Vegas.

The Stanley Cup is in the house and would be presented to the Golden Knights if they win this game. Not surprisingly, the feeling of excitement and anticipation in this city today was palpable. Dealers in the casinos and waitresses in restaurants were wearing Golden Knights gear. They all have Stanley Cup fever and more than one of them guaranteed me the Golden Knights will win tonight. We'll see.

That was certainly the feeling in Toshiba Plaza about 90 minutes before the game. DJ Steve Aoki was playing a show to thousands of fans who were either lined up to get into the arena or just to see him. He did not throw a cake, which I guess is a good thing.

Then two F-35 fighter jets from nearby Nellis Air Force Base did a fly over. It was pretty loud, which I'm sure will be a perfect description of tonight.

It was a complete madhouse outside and that party will soon move inside for what I'm sure is going to be an insane pregame on-ice show.

I'll be back soon with some lineup news, especially the status of Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk, who has been dealing with an injury and whose status is unclear.

Clearly if he is out of the lineup (that's the question) or not 100 percent (I think that's a definite), the Panthers have their work cut out for them tonight.