2023 Stanley Cup Final preview: Golden Knights vs. Panthers

Eichel, Tkachuk looking to lead Vegas, Florida to 1st championship in NHL history

By Derek Van Diest

@DerekVanDiest NHL.com Staff Writer

May 31, 2023

The Stanley Cup Final will feature the Florida Panthers of the Eastern Conference and Vegas Golden Knights of the Western Conference in a best-of-7 series, which starts Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Today, NHL.com previews the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.

(P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC2) Florida Panthers

Golden Knights: 51-22-9, 111 points; 4-1 to win first round against Winnipeg Jets; 4-2 to win second round against Edmonton Oilers; 4-2 to win conference final against Dallas Stars.

Panthers: 42-32-8, 92 points; 4-3 to win first round against Boston Bruins; 4-1 to win second round against Toronto Maple Leafs; 4-0 to win conference final against Carolina Hurricanes.

Season Series: VGK 1-1-0; FLA 1-1-0

Game 1: Saturday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, TBS, truTV, CBC, SN, TVAS)

The Golden Knights are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since their inaugural season in 2017-2018, when they lost the best-of-7 series 4-1 to the Washington Capitals. They will be going up against the Panthers, who return to the Final for the first time since 1996, when they were swept 4-0 by the Colorado Avalanche. Neither team has won the Stanley Cup previously, and it is the first time they will meet in the playoffs.

There are six players who remain with the Golden Knights from the original expansion roster: forwards William Carrier, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith, and defensemen Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore. All have made significant contributions to this season's run back to the Final.

"I think our team is more mature than what we were that first year," Carrier said. "No one was expecting us [to make the Final] and we kind of showed up there and happy for the opportunity, but I think this team wants to win. We won't be finished until we raise that Cup. I kind of got that feeling where [winning the Western Conference Final] we just won another series on that path. The boys really want more here."

Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez and goalie Jonathan Quick won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014, and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forward Ivan Barbashev won it with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. Panthers center Eric Staal won the Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 and played in the 2021 Final with the Montreal Canadiens, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. He will be trying to win the Cup with his brother, Panthers defenseman Marc Staal.

"Unique circumstances personally, but now I'm right where I'm supposed to be and it's an opportunity that I'm grateful for," Eric Staal said. "Really happy to be alongside these guys in this group and this team. It's very special, and the opportunity is one you need to cherish and enjoy."

Game breakers

Golden Knights: Jack Eichel is playing in his first Final, eight years after he was selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, behind Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. Eichel has found a home in his second season with the Golden Knights and leads them with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 17 playoff games. He leads a balanced offense for the Golden Knights, who have six players with at least 14 points during the postseason.

Panthers: Matthew Tkachuk leads Florida with 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 16 playoff games after an NHL career-high 109 points (40 goals, 69 assists) in 79 regular-season games. A Hart Trophy finalist as most valuable player in the NHL, Tkachuk scored four goals in the four-game sweep against the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, including two in overtime, and the series clincher with 4.9 seconds left in the third period of Game 4. He is considered a candidate to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Jack Eichel heading to Stanley Cup Final

Goalies

Golden Knights: Adin Hill took over as the starter after Laurent Brossoit sustained a lower-body injury 11:44 into Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Oilers. Hill, one of five goalies used by the Golden Knights this season, began the season fourth on the depth chart behind Video: Jack Eichel heading to Stanley Cup Final , Logan Thompson and Brossoit and in front of Jiri Patera. Lehner missed the entire season after undergoing hip surgery. Hill, playing in the playoffs for the first time, is 7-3 with a 2.07 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in 11 games (nine starts).

Panthers: At this point, it is hard to fathom Sergei Bobrovsky did not start the playoffs as the No. 1 goalie for Florida, backing up Alex Lyon through the first three games against Boston. Bobrovsky replaced Lyon during Game 3 and helped upset the Bruins, who took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series before the Panthers rallied to advance. Bobrovsky is 11-2 with a 2.21 GAA and .935 save percentage in 14 games (13 starts) and is a candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Numbers to know

Golden Knights: They have the most balanced offense in the playoffs, with seven players with at least 11 points. Eichel leads with 18, followed by Marchessault (17 points; nine goals, eight assists), Barbashev (15 points: six goals, nine assists), Mark Stone (15 points; six goals, nine assists), Karlsson (14 points; 10 goals, four assists), Chandler Stephenson (14 points; eight goals, six assists), and Smith (11 points; two goals, nine assists). The Golden Knights score most of their goals at even strength, with an 18.5 percent efficiency on the power play (10-for-54). Fortunately they don't take a lot of penalties because their penalty kill is at 63.0 percent, which is 14th of the 16 playoff teams.

Panthers: They have the sixth-ranked power play in the playoffs, converting on 27.9 percent of its opportunities (12-for-43) in 16 games. Their penalty kill has struggled, giving up 15 goals on 52 occasions (71.2 percent), but 11 of those goals were allowed in the first round against the Bruins. The Panthers gave up two power-play goals in four games during the Eastern Conference Final against the Hurricanes and were 8-for-8 on the penalty kill through the final three games. The Panthers also are 6-0 in overtime during the playoffs and have won nine straight OT playoff games since 2021.

X-factors

Golden Knights: Karlsson is their best defensive forward and could see a lot of ice time against Tkachuk. He usually is matched against opponents' top offensive threat. Karlsson did a masterful job in the second half of the second-round series against McDavid and was instrumental in limiting Stars center Roope Hintz to two assists in the final five games of the West Final.

Panthers: Forward Sam Bennett is making a huge impact in the playoffs at both ends of the ice. He has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) and delivered a massive hit on Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin 1:25 into the first period of Game 4 of the East Final, which set the tone for the game. Selected No. 4 by the Calgary Flames in the 2014 NHL Draft, Bennett has rejuvenated his career since being traded to Florida on April 12, 2021. He had been a healthy scratch toward the end of his tenure in Calgary.

They said it

"I think that first year was just kind of a whirlwind. You've never been there before and everything was just kind of flowing. Maybe you took it for granted a little bit back then. Now five or six years later, there's been ups and downs and you realize this opportunity doesn't come around too often, and I think maybe that's the biggest difference." -- Golden Knights forward William Karlsson on going back to the Stanley Cup Final after making it in their expansion season in 2018

"It means a lot. To get to this point, we know how hard you have to work, and obviously we all know there is another big series coming up, so we can't get too high on this." -- Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky after winning the Eastern Conference Final

Will win if …

Golden Knights: They continue to dominate 5-on-5. The Golden Knights have scored 62 goals in 17 games during the playoffs, and 49 have come 5-on-5, the most of any team. They have nine power-play goals and two at 4-on-4, along with two empty-net goals. They roll four lines, all of which are capable of scoring, and have seven forwards with at least 11 points. Hill has also been outstanding since taking over from Brossoit. He has a .937 save percentage, and if he can maintain that number, the Golden Knights will be tough to beat.

Panthers: Bobrovsky keeps up his outstanding play and is able to steal a game or two. The Golden Knights have the most balanced attack in the playoffs and have made Connor Hellebuyck of the Jets, Stuart Skinner of the Oilers and Jake Oettinger of the Stars look extremely ordinary. Tkachuk continues to come up with big goals, has had an outstanding season and has become the go-to pick for games going into overtime.