Game 2 Preview: Golden Knights Lines, Notes How to Watch vs. Panthers

LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights are marching against the Florida Panthers. Like the drum band that files into the fortress of T-Mobile Arena, the Golden Knights are marching forward with a steady but unrushed beat. Monday, they have a chance to put an early stranglehold on the Stanley Cup Final with a win and a 2-0 series lead, or the series will settle in for the battle most predicted with a Florida win.

The puck drops just after 5 p.m. PT.

The Golden Knights had 60% of the high-danger scoring chances, though the shot attempts were essentially even, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.

In Game 1, for the 11th time in the postseason, the Golden Knights yielded the first goal. Another special-teams miscue put the Golden Knights in an early deficit. Eric Staal intercepted a pass and streaked the length of the ice for a wraparound goal midway through the first period. The Panthers had a couple of shorthanded breakaways in Game 1.

The Golden Knights are an astounding 8-3 when allowing the first goal.

Later in the first period, the Golden Knights’ power play atoned for its early mistakes, and Jonathan Marchessault slammed a short slapper past Sergei Bobrovsky.

The Golden Knights scored two power-play goals in Game 1. They were 2-for-7 as the teams combined for 64 penalty minutes, including three 10-minute misconduct penalties in the final minutes.

Shea Theodore scored the Golden Knights highlight goal of the evening when he danced around Florida forward Anthony Duclair to create space at the top of the zone. He stepped to the high slot and lit the lamp with a well-placed wrist shot. It was his first goal of the playoffs.

“When I heard it was his first goal, I was like, wow,” said Golden Knights captain Mark Stone.

Zach Whitecloud capped off a furious shift by Jack Eichel for the game-winner earlier in the third period. Stone scored the insurance goal when he neatly picked Matthew Tkachuks’s clearing pass out of mid-air and immediately whistled a shot past Bobrovsky.

Reilly Smith scored the empty netter.

Adin Hill also made the spectacular save of the playoffs early in the second period when the Golden Knights over-committed to Tkachuk on the right wing, who slipped a pass to Nick Cousins at the top of the crease. It was a sure goal as Cousins directed the puck toward the open net. However, Hill dove toward the net, stick extended, and made the save.

Hill and Bobrovsky are the expected starters for Game 2.

Expected Golden Knights Lines:

Barbashev-Eichel-Marchessault

Howden-Stephenson-Stone

Smith-Karlsson-Amadio

Carrier-Roy-Kolesar

Defense:

Martinez-Pietrangelo

McNabb-Theodore

Hague-Whitecloud

Goalie: 

Adin Hill

Expected Florida Panthers Lines, per FloridaHockeyNow.com:

Verhaeghe-Barkov-Duclair

Cousins-Bennett-Tkachuk

Lomberg-Lundell-Reinhart

White-Staal-Dalpe

Defense:

Forsling-Ekblad

Staal-Montour

Mahura-Gudas

Goalie:

Sergei Bobrovsky

Special Teams:

Golden Knights Power Play: 19.7%, 9th

Golden Knights Penalty Kill: 65.3%, 14th

Panthers Power Play: 26.1%, 6th

Panthers Power Play: 71.2%, 13th

Vegas Golden Knights Game Notes:

The Golden Knights have never lost to the Panthers at T-Mobile Arena. They are 6-0-0.

Florida is the only team to never win in Vegas.

In Game 1, The Golden Knights earned their ninth comeback win this postseason, tying the second-highest total in a single playoff year in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vegas is now just one shy of the Avalanche (10 in 2022) and Penguins (10 in 2009) for the record.

The Golden Knights had four points by defensemen in Game 1 and have 35 overall this postseason by blueliners, the most in the NHL.

Jonathan Marchessault has a six-game point streak, one shy of the team record held by Max Pacioretty and Shea Theodore.

Jack Eichel leads all Vegas skaters in postseason points with 20 through 18 games (6-14-20), just two shy of Reilly Smith’s franchise record (22, 2018).

Original Misfits: six of the Golden Knights’ past eight goals have been scored by players who reached the Stanley Cup Final with the team in 2018: William Karlsson (2G), Jonathan Marchessault (2G), William Carrier, and Shea Theodore.

How to Watch:

TV: TNT

Radio: Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM, Deportes 1460 AM