The Florida Panthers (42-32-8, 23-13-5 home) battle the Vegas Golden Knights (51-22-9, 26-7-8 away) in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals in the Sunshine State. Florida stopped the bleeding with a 3-2 victory in overtime on Thursday to capture their first win of the series and cut the deficit to one game.
The puck drops at 8:00 p.m. EST on Saturday inside FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The Panthers are the betting favorite (-115 moneyline), and the over/under total is 5.5 goals.
What to Know – Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas led 2-1 through two periods and looked like the Golden Knights were on their way to a 3-0 advantage in the series. Even with the defeat, Vegas still owns the edge in a series that just got much more entertaining with the Panthers win.
Offensively, the Golden Knights have been one of the top-scoring teams in the playoffs, averaging 3.80 goals per game. Vegas features a 12.7% save and 22.5% power play percentage. The goaltending for the Golden Knights have held opponents to 2.60 goals per game, backed by a .920 save percentage.
Jonathan Marchessault and Jack Eichel are tied with a team-high 23 points during the playoffs. Marchessault poured in his 13th goal of the postseason to give the Golden Knights a 2-1 lead in Game 3. William Karlsson, who’s second on the team with ten goals during the postseason, is listed as day-to-day for the Golden Knights.
Adin Hill manned the posts and saved 20 of 23 shots on goal. Hill and Laurent Brossiot have both played during the playoffs, but Hill is the preferred goaltender for the Golden Knights. The 27-year-old is allowing just 2.12 goals per contest.
What to Know – Florida Panthers
Florida was on the brink of falling behind 3-0 in the series before a late surge in the final period tied the game for the Panthers, who went on to claim victory in overtime. The Panthers now have an excellent opportunity to tie the series on their home ice.
On offense, the Panthers are scoring 3.00 goals per game over 19 playoff games with a 9.6% shooting and 21.8% power play percentage. Florida’s goaltending also surrenders 3.00 goals per game with a .920 save percentage.
Matthew Tkachuk scored the equalizer in the third period of Thursday’s game, and Carter Verhaeghe netted the game-winner in overtime. Tkachuck leads the Panthers in postseason goals (11) and assists (13), while Verhaeghe is second on the team with 17 total points.
Sergi Bobrovsky was big in the Game 3 win, stopping 25 of 27 shots on goal. The veteran is a big reason why the Panthers have gotten this far in the postseason, allowing 2.46 goals against and featuring a .925 save percentage during the playoffs.
The Pick is In
Florida has the momentum heading into Game 4 as well as home ice. The crowd will be ready to back the Panthers, but the Golden Knights will flex their muscle and take a 3-1 lead heading back to the Vegas Strip.
The Pick: Vegas Golden Knights ML
