The Vegas Golden Knights have captured their first Stanley Cup in a blowout 9-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, on June 13, 2023. The victory allowed the Knights to win the series 4-1, winning their first Cup in only their sixth season as a franchise.
The Knights found themselves leading 6-1 by the second intermission, and the game seemed over to most. Knights goaltender Adin Hill was a brick wall, only allowing 3 goals, and recording 35 saves. He had made some major stops for Vegas, stopping "Anton Lundell early, made the save on Barkov and robbed Anthony Duclair with a glove save in the third period." Besides the wall at the goal post, Vegas captain Mark Stone recorded the first Stanley Cup hat trick since Peter Forsberg's 3-goal game for the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.
Vegas owed their Stanley Cup victory overall to their original Golden Misfits: Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, William Karlsson, Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore, all six of whom were in Game 5's starting lineup. These six players were apart of the inaugural 2017-18 team that would miraculously make the Stanley Cup Final, unfortunately losing to the Washington Capitals.
Marchessault led the way, being awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP of the playoffs. In Game 5, he would record a secondary assist on a Nicolas Hague goal in the first period. Marchessault would finish "the postseason tied for first with 13 goals and ranked second with 25 points," according to ESPN. He began to heat up in the playoffs following a 5-goal, 8-point combined performance in three Knights victories that allowed them to advance past the Edmonton Oilers in the second round. ESPN reports, "After failing to score in the first game of the Western Conference finals against the Stars, Marchessault finished the playoffs on a 10-game points streak."
"It's one of those things you work all your life for and right now, with what we accomplished with that team, I couldn't be more proud of our team," Marchessault stated in an interview with NHL Network, reported by ESPN. "We've battled through all year, and I'm so happy for them right now."
Many could consider captain Mark Stone or center Jack Eichel for the trophy as well. Besides his historical hat trick, Stone had a "two-way prowess allowed him to seemingly be everywhere at once," and scored 11 goals in the playoffs, tied for third in the entire postseason. As for Eichel, ESPN describes his play as "a top-line center who could drive offensive play while showing he could be trusted in defensive situations." Eichel led the league in postseason points (26) and recorded seven multi-point performances in the postseason.
"One night, it's one guy. One night, it's another guy," Marchessault explained. "That's the mentality we had this year. Just next man has to do the good job. We're a bunch of good teammates in that locker room, and we're always happy for each other. Everybody stepped up at different times and that's why today we are winners."
The crushing defeat, however, marks an end to an incredible underdog story in the Florida Panthers. Having defeated the greatest regular-season team in a comeback opening series, the Panthers were bound to be the NHL fan's favorite in this series. The Panthers went without their star Matthew Tkachuk in Game 5, due to a crushed sternum that kept him limited in Game 4. Tkachuk was the Panthers' leading postseason goal scorer with 11, as well as racking up the team's most postseason points with 24. His status was the biggest blow to the inferior team's already-slimming Cup hopes.
The road to this Cup by Vegas was something nearly unprecedented. Knights owner Bill Foley had set a plan in motion from day one, stating he wanted to see the team make the playoffs by their third year, and win the Cup by their sixth. However, the Knights rode their way to a Stanley Cup final appearance in 2018, leading the high hopes to become likelier than most may have believed.
According to ESPN, "There had been only six franchises in NHL history that required six or fewer seasons to win their first Stanley Cup. Five of them won between the birth of the NHL and the repeal of prohibition in the U.S." The institution of the Golden Knights also sparked Las Vegas' true introduction into the sports world, now holding the Raiders as well, and possibly being the new relocation spot for the Oakland Athletics.
Foley took full advantage of the NHL expansion draft, as the NHL were remorseful and would allow the new franchise to "draft the eighth-best forward, fourth-best defenseman or second-best goalie from each team." However, the Knights were very controversial in their practices, having rid of many members of their original few teams, such as Nate Schmidt, Marc-Andre Fleury, Paul Stastny, and original head coach Gerard Gallant. But through all the harsh moves, hatred by most NHL fans, and other factors, the Knights ownership group were able to find their own way through, and it led them to finish their goal.
They wanted playoffs in three, Cup in six.
It was Stanley Cup Final in one, and a Cup in six.
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