The Vegas Golden Knights (51-22-9, 25-15-1 home) can capture the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Trophy with a victory in Game 5 over the Florida Panthers (42-32-8, 19-19-3 away). Vegas took a two-game advantage in the series with a 3-2 win in Game 4 on Saturday in Florida.
Tuesday’s contest begins at 8 p.m. EST inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vegas is the betting favorite (-175 moneyline) while the over/under total is 5.5 goals.
What to Know – Florida Panthers
The Panthers found themselves down 3-0 midway through the second period of Game 4 and was unable to mount a big enough comeback to have a shot and take down the Golden Knights. Now, Florida has to find a way to win out if the Panthers want to earn the team’s first Stanley Cup.
Through the postseason, Florida’s offense has scored 2.95 goals per game behind a 9.4% shooting percentage and a 21.4% success rate on power plays. Defensively, the Panthers have surrendered 3.00 goals per game with one shutout and a .919 save percentage.
Brandon Montour got the Panthers on the board late in the second period of Game 4. The goal was Montour’s second in as many games and eighth in the playoffs. Aleksander Barkov cut the deficit in half in the third period, scoring his first goal of the series.
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 of 31 shots on goal in the loss. The veteran has given up 13 goals over the four games, over twice as many as he allowed against the Carolina Hurricanes in the East Finals.
What to Know – Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas did what they had to do in Game 4, building an early 3-0 lead and holding on to take a 3-1 edge in the series. The Golden Knights return home with an excellent opportunity to win the title in front of their home crowd in just the fifth year of the franchise’s history.
On offense, Vegas has been one of the top offenses in the playoffs averaging 3.76 goals per game thanks to a 12.5% shooting percentage and a 22.2% power play percentage. The Golden Knights have allowed 2.57 goals per game to opposing teams with a pair of shutouts and a .921 save percentage.
Chandler Stephenson got the Golden Knights on the board in the first period and pushed the Vegas lead to 2-0 early in the second. The goals were the first of the series for Stephenson and the second in the playoffs the center has scored multiple goals. William Karlsson tacked on another in the second to give Vegas a 3-0 lead.
Adin Hill stopped 29 of 31 shots and held the Panthers to two goals for the third time this series. Hill has posted a save percentage of .935 or higher in three of the four Stanley Cup contests.
The Pick is In
The stars are aligning for the Golden Knights to win their first Stanley Cup on their home ice. Florida has had a great postseason run and advanced further than many would have predicted, but the Cinderella Story ends in Game 5 with Vegas taking care of business.
The Pick: Vegas Golden Knights ML
