The Florida Panthers will try to even the Stanley Cup Final at a game apiece on Monday night when they visit the Vegas Golden Knights.
Vegas exploded for three goals in the third period to pull away with a 5-2 win in the series opener on Saturday. The Knights scored two special-team goals (one on the power play, one shorthanded) and five different players found the back of the net.
Bet on Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final
Goaltender Adin Hill was outstanding for the Knights, making several spectacular stops en route to a 33-save performance.
Vegas is a -140 home favourite on the moneyline in Game 2 and the total is set at 5.5 goals.
Panthers vs. Golden Knights odds
| Panthers Moneyline Odds | +120 |
| Golden Knights Moneyline Odds | -140 |
| Series Odds | Golden Knights -240, Panthers +200 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 goals (over -120, under +100) |
| Time/Date | Monday, June 5, 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet/CBC (How to watch the NHL in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
Previous meetings
This will be the fourth meeting between the teams this season. Vegas has taken two of the three games and both of the regular season clashes played under the 6.5-goal totals. The Knights are 6-2 in the past eight meetings.
| Date | Home Team | Result | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 3, 2023 (Game 1) | Vegas | 5-2 VEG (-132) | 5.5 (over) |
| March 7, 2023 | Florida | 2-1 FLA (+150) | 6.5 (under) |
| Jan. 12, 2023 | Vegas | 4-2 VEG (-110) | 6.5 (under) |
About the Panthers (12-5 SU, 11-6 ATS, 7-10 o/u)
It appears as though Sergei Bobrovsky may be human after all?
The Russian netminder allowed four goals and posted a sub-.917 save percentage (.879) for the first time since the opening round of the playoffs. He entered the Stanley Cup Final with an 11-2 record, 2.21 GAA and .935 SV% in these playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see if he bounces back in Game 2, or if the long layoff between the conference finals and the start of the Cup Final has disrupted his rhythm.
The Panthers had a little bit of bad puck luck in Game 1, with shooters hitting the post three times over the first two periods. They entered the second intermission tied 2-2 with the Knights, but penalties were their ultimate downfall in the series opener. When the dust settled, Florida had taken 46 minutes in penalties. No playoff team has spent more time in the sin bin than the Panthers, who have committed 86 penalties and are a league-worst minus-14 in net penalties this postseason.
Player to watch: Anthony Duclair
Duclair has posted goals in back-to-back games and is really benefitting from playing alongside Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. The winger has four goals and six assists this postseason. He had three points in 14 career playoff games prior to Florida’s current run this year. Duclair is +300 to score on Monday.
About the Golden Knights (13-5 SU, 13-5 ATS, 11-7 o/u)
This will be a quick series if Florida continues to play undisciplined hockey. The Knights took just 18 minutes in penalties during a scrappy Game 1 affair and 12 of those minutes were allocated during a major scrum in the third period. Vegas has drawn 92 penalties for a plus-11 net rating, which makes the squad the most disciplined in these playoffs.
Unfortunately, the Knights haven’t capitalized with the man advantage this spring. Vegas has the ninth-ranked power play (19.7%) in these playoffs, but it does boasts the best shooting percentage (12.3%).
The depth of this team was showcased in Game 1 as evidenced by the five different scorers. The Knights also have an embarrassment of riches in net with Hill rising to the occasion with three goalies on the shelf.
Player to watch: Jonathan Marchessault
Marchessault, who scored his team-leading 10th goal of the playoffs in Game 1, is on an absolute heater. He has eight goals in his past eight games and is riding a six-game point streak. He’s +190 to score and -160 to record a point in this one.
Jonathan Marchessault to score anytime
Probable goaltenders
Florida: Sergei Bobrovsky (11-3, 2.32 GAA, .931 SV%) – unconfirmed.
Vegas: Adin Hill (8-3, 2.06 GAA, .938 SV%) – unconfirmed.
Notable injuries
Florida centre Eetu Luostarinen (lower body) is questionable for Game 2. Vegas remains thin in goal with three netminders currently on the shelf: Logan Thompson (lower body), Laurent Brossoit (lower body), Robin Lehner (hip).
Betting trends
- Florida is 0-6 in the past six meetings in Vegas.
- The home team is 10-1 in the past 11 meetings.
- The under is 5-1 in Florida’s last six road games.
- The over is 4-1 in the Golden Knights’ last five home games.
- The favourite is 7-1 in the past eight meetings.
Wagers to consider
- Of the Golden Knights’ 13 playoff wins, nine have been comeback victories. This could present some interesting in-game betting opportunities if Florida takes an early lead. You could also consider Vegas to score the last goal: -125.
- Bobrovsky over 29.5 saves: -115. He had 29 saves in Game 1, but prior to that, Bobrovsky had made 32 saves or more in five straight games, averaging 43.6 saves per game during that span.
- Mark Stone is getting the puck on net lately. He recorded seven shots on goal in Game 1 and has at least three shots on net in three straight games. He’s +110 to record over 2.5 shots on goal.
