What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
That's the mentality the Florida Panthers will have to take as they head home after being routed 7-2 by the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday. The Panthers, who now trail 2-0 in the series, host Game 3 on Thursday at FLA Live Arena.
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WATCH HEREThey couldn't change their fortune in Vegas as the Golden Knights picked up where they left off in the third period of Saturday's Game 1, during which they scored three unanswered goals in a 5-2 win.
That lopsided scoring continued Monday as Las Vegas once again created traffic in front of the Panthers net to build a lead that Knights goalie Adin Hill protected.
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Jonathan Marchessault opened the scoring with a power-play goal, firing a shot over the shoulder of Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead 7:05 in.
Alec Martinez then scored off a feed from Ivan Barbashev to push the lead to 2-0 with just over two minutes remaining in the period.
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Nicolas Roy carried the puck out of the corner and found a hole through traffic in front of the net to make it 3-0 just 2:59 into the second.
The Golden Knights struck again just over four minutes later. Mark Stone's centering feed set up a beautiful goal by Brett Howden, who wrapped around the pad of Bobrovsky to give the Golden Knights a four-goal lead.
Bobrovsky, who allowed four goals on 13 shots, was then pulled and replaced in net by Alex Lyon. It was the fifth time this postseason the Golden Knights chased their opponent's starting goalie from a game, which is tied for the second most in a single postseason over the last 30 years (2011 Boston Bruins, seven times), according to ESPN.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice was asked after the game if Bobrovsky will still be starting goaltender moving forward in the series.
"I don't know, I'll sweat about that one for the next two days," Maurice told reporters. "We can be a little better in front of our goaltender, he's been unbelievable for us. So, I got him out to keep him rested."
The physical play also continued in Game 2, with Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas exiting in the first period after taking a hit from Barbashev. Matthew Tkachuk later leveled Jack Eichel with a shoulder check in open ice to send the Golden Knights star back to the locker room late in the second period. That led to a scrum between the two teams, with Tkachuk and Barbashev each receiving two minutes for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct. Eichel returned for the third period.
The Panthers got on the board 14 seconds into the third period when a shot by Anton Lundell bounced off the leg of Martinez and into the net. The Golden Knights answered shortly after when Marchessault scored off a feed from Eichel to make it 5-1. Michael Amadio added another goal midway through the period.
Tkachuk scored his first goal of the series when he put in a rebound with 7:16 remaining in the game. Shortly after during a stoppage, he knocked the stick out of the hands of Amadio and was assessed his second 10-minute misconduct of the game (third of the series) and ejected.
Howden's second goal of the game made it 7-2 with 2:08 remaining.
Hill made 29 saves in the win, including a stop on a breakaway by Carter Verhaeghe minutes into the game. He helped thwart three Florida power-play opportunities, stopping nine shots on goal.
Las Vegas, which has outscored the Panthers 4-0 on power plays, has tied the Stanley Cup Final record for most goals through the first two games of the series with 12.
"The parts of our game that we know where we can improve we're gonna have to get to real fast, there's no doubt about that," Maurice told reporters. "We'll have a pretty simple game plan. I don't think it's about scoring goals in this series, cause I think it's about defending the rush, and we weren't great at that tonight."
The Golden Knights, in just their sixth year of existence, are now two victories away from winning their first Stanley Cup.
The Panthers, who last hosted the Final in 1996 when they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche, return home seeking the franchise's first victory in a Stanley Cup Final game. Game 3 is set for Thursday and Game 4 is Saturday, with each starting at 8 p.m. ET.
