As Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final ended, helmets, gloves, sticks, and plastic rats scattered the ice, the aftermath of a scuffle in the final seconds of a heated contest.
Despite the chaos, the result remained clear: The Vegas Golden Knights are on the cusp of their first Stanley Cup title.
Vegas edged out the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Saturday night, surviving a late surge and a flurry of activity in the dying moments to secure a 3-1 series lead.
“Obviously, that was a battle till the last second,” said Vegas forward Nicolas Roy. “They pushed back there. We knew they would. They’ve been doing it all series. But it’s nice to get that one, for sure.”
The Golden Knights can clinch the NHL championship on home ice Tuesday night.
“We’ve played really well at home here in the playoffs, so you’ve got to feel pretty good going home with a 3-1 lead,” said defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.
Getting to this point wasn’t easy.
Chandler Stephenson scored twice for the Golden Knights, and William Karlsson ended his series-long goal drought to give Vegas a 3-0 lead. The Panthers fought back with goals from Brandon Montour late in the second period and Aleksander Barkov early in the third, but their rally fell short, putting Florida on the brink of elimination.
“We’ve earned the right to play our best hockey,” said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. “Where we’ve been at our strongest is at the most critical time. I think you’ll see that.”
Sergei Bobrovsky kept the Panthers competitive, stopping 28 of 31 shots despite being left vulnerable by his defense. At the other end, Adin Hill made 29 saves for his 10th win since taking over midway through the second round.
“It’s a credit to him for being prepared when he did come in there a few series ago,” Pietrangelo said. “You’ve got to be happy for him.”
The Golden Knights are now one victory away from delivering a championship to Las Vegas in just their sixth year of existence, fulfilling owner Bill Foley’s vision of winning the Stanley Cup within that timeframe. Vegas reached the final in their inaugural season in 2017-18 but lost to Washington in five games.
This time, the Golden Knights look more poised and ready for the spotlight. Stephenson, Hill, Jack Eichel, and captain Mark Stone, who had two assists in Game 4, were all crucial trade acquisitions.
Original Knights players also played key roles. Jonathan Marchessault assisted on Karlsson’s goal, which made it 3-0. His 24th point tied him for the playoff-scoring lead.
Florida made the game interesting. Montour scored by deflecting the puck off Brayden McNabb, and Shea Theodore skated past Hill with 3:51 left in the second period. He then set up Barkov with a perfect pass from behind the net 3:50 into the third.
Despite missing leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk for several shifts, Florida continued to press and received key saves from Bobrovsky to maintain pressure. A brief 6-on-4 advantage with 17.4 seconds left, following Pietrangelo’s delay of game penalty, provided a final opportunity but did not result in Florida’s first power-play goal of the series.
The game ended with a scuffle resulting in six penalties, including two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and two misconducts.
“I kind of felt my helmet get ripped off, and they had six guys on the ice; we had four, so get in there a bit and try and help out teammates,” said Hill, who was involved in the melee. “I don’t know if there’s really a message to be sent. We’re just getting ready for (Game 5) Tuesday.”
The Panthers now face the daunting task of replicating their first-round comeback from a 3-1 deficit against Boston to prevent Vegas from winning it all.