PREVIEW: Panthers look to rebound in Game 2 of Stanley Cup Final

LAS VEGAS -- The Florida Panthers will attempt to get the Stanley Cup Final all squared up when they face off against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 at T-Mobile Arena on Monday.

Winning 11 of their last 13 games, the Panthers suffered their first loss since May 10 in Game 1 when the Knights scored three goals in the third period to claim a 5-2 win in the series opener.

"I think we can get stronger," Panthers veteran center Eric Staal said after the loss. "I think there's areas of our game that were real good tonight, and then there's areas where we can get better. It's the first one. We'll regroup, recover tonight and tomorrow, and be ready for Game 2."

Staal opened the scoring for the Panthers in Game 1 when he beat Adin Hill with on a wrap-around for a shorthanded goal to make it 1-0 in the first period. Tying things up later in the period, former Panther Jonathan Marchessault scored on the power play to make it 1-1.

After Shea Theodore sent the Knights ahead in the second period with a shot through traffic, Anthony Duclair pulled the Panthers even with just over 10 seconds left on the clock when he ripped a shot past Hill off a faceoff win to make it a 2-2 game heading into the intermission.

"It's a great feeling to see that puck go in," said Duclair, who's scored four goals during the postseason. "Just to tie it up going into the third was huge. It's one of those things you dream about your whole life. You're finally here, so you don't want to take it for granted."

In the third period, the Panthers suffered from some self-inflicted wounds.

After Zach Whitecloud scored to put Vegas up 3-2, Mark Stone intercepted a pass in the offensive zone and quickly fired a shot past Sergei Bobrovsky to make it 4-2. With less than two minutes left in regulation, Reilly Smith buried an empty-netter on the power play to make it 5-2.

Earning the bulk of the calls in Game 1, Vegas converted on two of its seven power plays.

"I felt it was pretty competitive," Staal said. "We've got to learn a little bit with the penalties. That's too many. You can't take that many penalties at this time of the year and expect success offensively. It's tough. It's tight out there. I think we can learn from some of that."

Both Bobrovsky and Hill were on top of their game to open the series.

Bobrovsky finished with 29 saves for the Panthers, while Hill made 33 saves for the Knights. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, Bobrovsky made nine high-danger saves, while Hill turned aside seven, including an eye-popping paddle save to rob Nick Cousins of a goal early in the second period.

"We didn't score on our best chances, and they didn't score on their best chances," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. "They got a couple point shots that snuck their way through. We snuck one through. The best chances both teams had both goalies made great saves on."

Showing no signs of rust, Bobrovsky made several huge stops in 1-on-1 battles.

"I felt pretty good," said Bobrovsky, who leads all goaltenders in the postseason with 11 wins. "I saw the puck well. The movement was good. Everything was good. It was a great game. I was really happy to be there, to play that game and to face that team. It was a good game."

One of the biggest question marks for the Panthers heading into Game 2 is the status of two-way forward Eetu Luostarinen. Missing Game 1 after being listed as a game-time decision, the 24-year-old's status to play in Game 2 likely won't be known until a few hours before puck drop.

Out since blocking a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final at FLA Live Arena, Luostarinen, a very important piece both at 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill for the Panthers, has registered five points (two goals, three assists) in 16 playoff games.

Hoping to split the series before heading back to Sunrise for Game's 3 and 4, the Panthers have done a great job the second game of each of their series thus far, posting a perfect 3-0 record.

THEY SAID IT

"You're trying to play on that edge without going over it. They're a team that when they have a lead, it's tough to come back on. They're comfortable with the lead, and that's where they want to be. It's never easy trying to come back in a game like that." - forward Sam Reinhart

"It's just one game. For us, we've been in this position before. … Learn from last night, watch a little video [on Sunday] and just have fun. When you're in this position, it could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so you've got to make the most of it." - forward Anthony Duclair

PLAYOFF LEADERS

Panthers

Goals: Tkachuk (9)

Assists: Tkachuk (12)

Points:Tkachuk (21)

Knights

Goals: Karlsson (10), Marchessault (10)

Assists:Eichel (14)

Points:Eichel (20)

PANTHERS PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Forwards

Carter Verhaeghe - Aleksander Barkov - Anthony Duclair

Nick Cousins - Sam Bennett - Matthew Tkachuk

Ryan Lomberg - Anton Lundell - Sam Reinhart

Colin White - Eric Staal - Zac Dalpe

Defensemen

Gustav Forsling - Aaron Ekblad

Marc Staal - Brandon Montour

Josh Mahura - Radko Gudas

Goaltenders

Sergei Bobrovsky

Alex Lyon

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

- May 8: F Mackie Samoskevich agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract

HOW TO WATCH

When:Monday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET

Where:T-Mobile Arena - Las Vegas, NV

TV & Streaming:TNT, TBS, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS

Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 92.1 WZZR (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Sirius 138, SiriusXM Channel 220 / App & Streaming 932; NHL App

Watch Party: FLA Live Arena