(Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
After winning game five of the finals against the Florida Panthers, the Las Vegas Golden Knights hoisted the Stanley Cup on Tuesday. It’s hockey’s most coveted trophy.
The Knights made short work of the Panthers in front of the home crowd with a final score of 9-3. In the midst of it all Mark Stone scored a hat trick.
The Panthers just seemed outmatched
For the Panthers, there wasn’t much room for hope. Dreams of a historic comeback brought on by a seven-game storybook ending never materialized. Sometimes Cinderella doesn’t go to the ball. She just stays home and mops up after the ingrates.
At the 6:19 mark in the first period, the Knights already had their second goal. Something was off. The Panthers just seemed outmatched from the get-go.
Early in the second period Panthers’ defenseman Aaron Ekblad scored from nearly center ice to make it 2-1. That play was set up with Nick Cousins’ assist and the unheralded screen set by Eric Staal. It blinded Knights’ goaltender Adin Hill and made the whole play possible.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, the Knights went on a goal-scoring frenzy after that. They would score five more consecutive times before the Panthers found the net again. By that time, hope had been all but lost.
In all fairness it was probably lost before the game even started. After all, the Panthers left their hearts on the ice in game four.
One last soul-stomping save
Game four had an ending that may be just as suitable as a Hollywood blockbuster as it was a hockey game. Moments before the final buzzer, the Panthers had an opportunity. They were down 3-2 with a big chance to tie it. If not for the late heroics of Knights’ goaltender Hill, they would have done just that.
Hill had been amazing all night having already saved 28 of 30 pucks from getting by. But in the eyes of Panthers fans, he made one last soul-stomping save. It was about as dramatic or nerve-wracking as it could have possibly been, depending on how many layers of rose tint is on your spectacles.
One thing’s for certain, there was pandemonium after the buzzer.
Brandon Montour skated toward the goal with fury seeking a target as the buzzer sounded. He found Brayden McNabb who just exposed his back to him. Montour laid a hit on him, and fights broke out immediately.
Denied their glorious comeback
There were altercations all over the ice. To top it off, water bottles and plastic rats were being thrown by fans who were just denied their glorious comeback. Now they had to watch the Knights seemingly getting the better of their Panthers for the second time in just a few seconds, only this time it was in the version of punches and takedowns.
The Panthers hadn’t been to the Stanley Cup finals since 1996. During that series they got swept by the Colorado Avalanche in four games. The first time they won a game in the Stanley Cup finals was against the Knights in Game three.
It was highly improbable for them to even be there to begin with. They were the lowest ranked seed in the bracket. As exciting and magical as their run was to watch, the drama ended as quickly as it began. The long wait for the 2024 season starts now.
