Vegas Golden Knights now one win away from championship
There are three people left, and one person remains. The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 3-2 to win Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, including a violent brawl after the final buzzer.
The Golden Knights take a 3-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final and are one step closer to winning the franchise's first NHL championship.
The Golden Knights won the first two games of this series in Las Vegas and split two road games in Florida.
Game 5 will be Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Golden Knights have a chance to win a championship on their home court and in front of their loyal fans.
Teams leading the series 3-1 in the Stanley Cup Final have an overall record of 36-1. The only team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs. The Detroit Red Wings blew a 3-1 lead and were invincible. The Maple Leafs won three games in a row to win the final championship.
Even though history is stacked against them, the Panthers are confident they can pull off a rare comeback. The Panthers defeated the top-seeded Boston Bruins in the first round after trailing 3-1 in the series.
Golden Knights and Panthers in intense postgame battle
The Golden Knights scored early in the first quarter and scored two more goals in the second quarter to take a 3-0 lead. Center Chandler Stephenson scored two goals, and center William Carlson scored the first goal of the series.
The Panthers scored late in the second quarter and trailed 3-1 early in the third quarter. Center Alexander Barkov scored a goal at the beginning of the third quarter to narrow the score gap to 3-2.
The Golden Knights withstood the Panthers' offense and prevented a comeback.
"Of course, it was a battle until the last second," Golden Knights forward Nicholas Roy said. "They push back in there. We knew they would. They've done it in all series. But it's nice to get this."
The Panthers pulled their goalie in the final 18 seconds of the game and took a two-man lead on the power play. The desperate Panthers failed to score the winning goal, sending the game into overtime. Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill held the Panthers to two goals and made 29 saves.
The Golden Knights weren't happy when Panthers guard Brandon Montour hit Hill after the final buzzer, sparking a brawl. Angry fans threw empty beer glasses, water bottles and plastic rats onto the ice, and officials broke up several tangles. Even Hill struggled outside the ring.
I felt like my helmet was ripped off and they had six guys on the ice and we had four, so go in there a little bit and try to help your teammates,” Hill said.
"This chaos is coming," Panthers captain Alexander Barkov said. "We almost tied the game, but there were a lot of people in front of the net and something like that happened."
Tkachuk’s mysterious injury
Matthew Tkachuk was the most cohesive player in the Panthers' magical playoff run. The veteran winger leads the Panthers with 11 goals and 13 assists this postseason. Seven of his goals came in the third period or overtime.
Tkachuk suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 4 that limited his playing time. He was clearly not at 100 percent and only took a few pucks during pregame warmups, leading to speculation that he had a shoulder injury.
Tkachuk likely felt the effects of his collision with Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar in the first quarter of Game 3. The NHL's concussion monitor reported Tkachuk's condition and he was sent to the locker room for evaluation. He passed concussion protocol and returned to the ice midway through the second period. He even scored the game-winning goal in the third quarter to send Game 3 into overtime, which the Panthers won.
Two days after the collision, Tkachuk was clearly in a lower mood than usual, shooting four times in Game 4 without a goal or assist. He missed nearly eleven minutes in the third quarter, but he ran only four shifts in the final frame.
Of course you want to go out and play," Tkachuk said. "Eventually, I was able to go out there and try to make some magic happen later on, but we ran out of time. "
In the melee at the end of the game, a frustrated Tkachuk was punished several times for cuts and falls. Unsportsmanlike conduct and 10-minute misconduct. It was his fourth serious 10-minute penalty of the final.
Betting on Golden Knights/Panthers in Game 5
Panthers head coach Paul Morris was vague when asked by reporters about the details of Tkachuk's injury.
We have two days off to evaluate it," Morris said. "Get some rest and then we'll make a decision. "
Tkachuk’s status for Game 5 is unknown.
The Panthers are an underdog at +850 to win the series, according to DraftKings. The Golden Knights are the overwhelming favorite to win the series and the Stanley Cup at -1400 odds.
DraftKings has updated its proprietary bets to reflect the correct outcome of the series. The Golden Knights' chances of winning the championship are -165 after going 4-1 in Game 5. If the Golden Knights win the series in six games, the odds are +330. If the Panthers can win their next two games and force a Game 7, the Golden Knights have a +600 chance of winning the Stanley Cup in seven games.
The Panthers will face their first elimination game of the series in Game 5. They must win three games in a row to pull off a rare comeback in the Stanley Cup Finals and win the championship. The Panthers have a +850 chance of winning the series in seven games. Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault is the -500 favorite to win the Conn Smyth Trophy or Stanley Cup Finals MVP. Hill is the closest competitor at +1000, followed by center Jack Eichel at +1500.
Tkachuk is the Panthers' highest-ranked member on the NHL Honors List, with +1800 odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
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