If they have been hooked for a long time, the Vegas Golden Knights ended up winning at home against the Florida Panthers, this Saturday, in the first game of the NHL Finals. In search of a first Stanley Cup, after failing on the last step against Washington in 2018, the year of its integration into the League, Vegas finally had the last word, scoring three goals in the last third (final victory 5-2). Very intense, the meeting was marked by numerous clashes, causing the beginnings of fights.
It was Zach Whitecloud who first freed the Nevada team, finding the opposing goalkeeper’s left side netting just over six minutes into the final period, when Florida had been dangerous on several occasions. . Intercepting the puck in the air with his stick, before hitting it on the half-volley to deceive Sergei Bobrovsky, Mark Stone scored the fourth goal six minutes later, before Reilly Smith gave more scope to the victory by scoring in the empty goal 105 seconds from the siren.
Florida, who also dreams of a first title, 27 years after a first missed opportunity against Colorado, however, started this final ideally when Eric Staal opened the scoring by straightening the puck after having byped the cage, celebrating his 100th play-off match as it should be. But at the end of the first period, Jonathan Marchessault equalized for Vegas, taking a back p from Chandler Stephenson.
In the middle period, Shea Theodore gave the Golden Knights the lead with a long shot for the first time, but Anthony Duclair equalized 11 seconds from the siren, just after a throw-in, consoling his teammate Brandon Montour who came to touch the post. The second match of this final is scheduled for Monday in Vegas.