The 2023 Stanley Cup Final has been an intense battle between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers. In the first two games of the series, the Golden Knights have dominated, winning 5-2 and 7-2, respectively. As the scene shifts to Florida for Games 3 and 4, the Panthers are faced with the challenge of overcoming a 2-0 deficit.
One concern for the Panthers is the performance of their goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky. While Bobrovsky played up to his $10 million-per-year contract with a .935 save percentage entering the Stanley Cup Final, he has allowed eight goals in four and a half periods, getting pulled in Game 2 once the Golden Knights went up 4-0. However, the defensive coverage in front of him was less than spectacular. This has led to questions about who will get the nod in Game 3.
The Impact of Tkachuk’s Hit
Another pivotal moment in Game 2 was Matthew Tkachuk’s hit on Vegas star Jack Eichel. As Eichel stickhandled the puck, Tkachuk skated at him with considerable velocity, sending Eichel awkwardly into Tkachuk and to the ice with a thunderous check. Eichel immediately left for the trainers’ room, causing concern that the Golden Knights’ leading scorer might have been injured.
Luckily for Vegas, Eichel only got the wind knocked out of him and returned to play the third period. However, Tkachuk earned a second misconduct penalty in the game — and his third of the series — and his night was officially over. On his way off the ice, he slapped a plastic rat that had been tossed by a fan over the boards.
The Loss of Gudas
The Panthers were already without a dependable depth option in Eetu Luostarinen, who has five points in 16 playoff games. However, losing defenseman Radko Gudas for the rest of Game 2 — and perhaps beyond — was a significant setback. While Gudas is fifth among Panthers defensemen in 5-on-5 ice time, his Game 2 departure left the Panthers without a player who has seen the third-most ice time on their penalty kill. That loss was felt quickly, with Jonathan Marchessault scoring shortly after Gudas exited the game following the hit from Barbashev.
The Uphill Battle for Florida
The Panthers have two hills to conquer now: Vegas goalie Adin Hill, who is clearly locked in and tending some of the best goal of his NHL career, and the hill that is a 2-0 series deficit. Teams with a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup playoffs hold a series record of 347-55 (.863). In the 2023 postseason, teams are 5-1 in that situation.
When you factor in that the Golden Knights went up 2-0 on home ice, that hill starts to resemble Mount Kilimanjaro: 38 out of the 41 teams that won the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final on home ice went on to win the series. That said, two teams in the salary cap era (2005-06 and on) have rallied to win after dropping the first two games of their series on the road: the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins and the 2011 Bruins. So the climb will be arduous for Florida, but the hill isn’t insurmountable.
Final Thoughts
The Panthers have rarely looked rattled in this postseason, but the first period of Game 2 was one of the moments where they did. The Panthers were passive until the final few minutes of the frame and then tried to get something going on the power play. Ultimately they gave up two goals (one right after their man advantage) and looked deflated. It makes you wonder how resilient Florida can continue to be as this series rolls on. The Panthers haven’t faced a ton of adversity since that first-round series against the Boston Bruins, and even getting five shots on their first power-play try wasn’t enough to get them on the scoresheet early. Instead, they were playing from behind — again. They’ll hope for a better start in Game 3.
The 2023 Stanley Cup Final has been an intense battle between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers. While the Golden Knights have dominated the first two games of the series, the Panthers still have a chance to come back and win. The goaltending controversy in Florida, the impact of Tkachuk’s hit, and the loss of Gudas are all factors that could impact the remainder of the series. The Panthers will need to be resilient and overcome the uphill battle they face to have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup.
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