PREVIEW: Panthers not feeling the pressure heading into Game 1 of SCF

By Jameson Olive

@JamesonCoop FloridaPanthers.com

June 03, 2023

LAS VEGAS -- The wait is finally over.

With one chapter left to pen in their incredible story, the Florida Panthers will face off against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

"There's not a lot of pressure on us," Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. "We're just playing hockey and coming to the rink every day. We believe in our group. Starting on the road is a lot more fun, just getting to be with the guys. There's a lot of advantages to it, for sure."

A season removed from winning the Presidents' Trophy, the Panthers have pieced together an underdog run for the ages en route to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since 1996.

Sneaking into the playoffs by a single point, they became just the third team in NHL history to eliminate three of the NHL's top-four teams from the regular season in the same playoff run.

After clawing back from a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the 65-win Boston Bruins in seven games in Round 1, they cruised past the 50-win Toronto Maple Leafs in five games in Round 2 and then swept the 52-win Carolina Hurricanes in four games in the Eastern Conference Final.

Since Game 5 at Boston, the Panthers have won 11 of their last 12 games.

Yet, they once again enter the Stanley Cup Final as the underdog against the favored Knights.

Luckily, that's just how they like it.

"It's been awesome," said Panthers forward Sam Bennett, who leads the team's forwards with 62 hits in the playoffs. "We've definitely enjoyed taking the underdog role. People had counted us out from Day 1, and it's a pretty awesome feeling to prove people wrong. We're loving that."

At the center of Florida's run has been Matthew Tkachuk and Sergei Bobrovsky.

Quickly becoming one of the most-recognizable faces in the NHL, Tkachuk scored the game-winning goal in three of four games against the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. As it stands now, he ranks first on the team in goals (9), assists (12) and points (21) in the playoffs.

Between the pipes, Bobrovsky has done a great job of reminding the hockey world that he's a two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy. Sitting on an 11-2 record with a .935 save percentage in the playoffs, he's turned aside 387 of 406 shots at even strength for a .953 save percentage.

A one-man highlight reel, he's also stopped 127 of the 147 high-danger shots that he's faced.

"I'm enjoying this moment," said Bobrovsky, who's saved nearly 20 goals above expected throughout the postseason, according to the numbers over at MoneyPuck.com. "It feels great. It's a great opportunity, a great spot. I'm proud to be with my teammates in this spot. It's a privilege to compete shoulder to shoulder with them and go through lots of things."

Across the ice, Vegas, like the Panthers, is searching for its first Stanley Cup.

Riding high after winning the Pacific Division, the Knights dispatched the Winnipeg Jets in five games in Round 1, eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in six games in Round 2 and then needed another six games to make their way past the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.

Despite being able to roll four lines, the center of attention for Vegas remains Jack Eichel. After waiting eight seasons to make his playoff debut, the former second-overall pick hasn't let the opportunity go to waste. In 17 games, he's posted a team-high 18 points (six goals, 12 assists).

Two other players to keep an eye on are William Karlsson and former Panther Jonathan Marchessault. Members of the original Knights expansion team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, the dynamic forward duo has combined for 19 goals throughout the playoffs.

After replacing Lauren Brossoit, who suffered an injury in Game 3 of Round 2, Adin Hill grabbed the reins in between the pipes for Vegas and hasn't looked back. In 10 appearances, he's registered a 7-3 record with a 2.07 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage.

"They have tremendous depth," Panthers forward Nick Cousins said. "They have really good mobile D that are obviously big, and their goaltender is playing really well right now. I don't think they have any weaknesses. They're here for a reason. It should be a good challenge for us."

In the end, the difference in this series could come down to special teams.

Over the past two rounds of the postseason, the Panthers have converted on 30.4% of their power plays and 84% of their penalty kills. By comparison, the Knights haven't looked as great, operating at just 18.4% on the power play and 64.7% on the penalty kill in that same span.

Additionally, the Panthers aren't afraid of starting on the road. Entering the Stanley Cup Final on an eight-game road winning streak, they've outscored their opponents 29-18 during that stretch.

As it has been all playoffs, these Cats aren't going to back down from a challenge.

"We didn't do it the easy way, that's for sure," Tkachuk said. "We didn't have the easiest route. In fact, we probably had the hardest route. Ultimately, our goal going into playoffs is to have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. We've put ourselves in a position where there's only two teams left. That's all you dream about. If we're able to knock off this juggernaut here in Vegas, it would be probably the hardest road to a Stanley Cup in history. Our goal is to knock off this team and see if we can make history."

THEY SAID IT

"It's been awesome. It's been really cool to be in that position. The on-ice part has been just the best thing that I could ever imagine and what's come with it off ice has been very fun as well. I know it could be just the biggest joy in my life to come through in this round." - Matthew Tkachuk

"The whole ride up until this point has already been amazing. It's been like a movie. It truly feels like everything is coming together at the right time. We're playing our best hockey right now. You hear people say that timing is everything, and it's crazy how everything has worked out so far." - Ryan Lomberg

"We've played in some really hostile environments. That's only going to benefit us when we get there. We know they're good at home. They have lots of energy in the building and it's a fun atmosphere to play in. We're going to be ready, for sure." - Nick Cousins

"We've been doing good at being so even-keeled. I'm sure it'll settle in once we get on the road and stuff like that. You dream of playing in the Stanley Cup Final. To know that it's right around the corner is not only exciting for all of us, but for our families, too. Everyone's enjoying it. There's a job at hand. We're just excited to get going here."- Josh Mahura