SCF Game 3, BIG Chance: Golden Knights vs. Panthers Lines, Notes & How to Watch

Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final could be the final stand of the underdog Florida Panthers. The Vegas Golden Knights have scored and scored again on goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and withstood each Panthers’ push. The Golden Knights have excelled in finishing their chances and controlling the puck in scoring areas.

However, a team isn’t in trouble until they lose on home ice, and Florida gets its first chance at home cooking Thursday at FLA Live Arena. The puck drops just after 5 p.m. PT.

Get the Golden Knights Game 2 recap here.

The Golden Knights scored 12 goals over the first two games and lead the final series 2-0. They won Game 2 convincingly, 7-2. One more win puts Florida in a nearly impossible situation.

And the Golden Knights know it.

“We know we have them,” said Jonathan Marchessault after Game 2.

They blew a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Final to the Dallas Stars before ending Dallas in Game 6. In talking to the players, VHN can confidently report the VGK learned a valuable lesson and will not repeat such a mistake.

However, Florida has generated significant offensive chances only to see the legend of goalie Adin Hill grow with each marvelous save.

Marchessault has 10 goals in nine games. The Golden Knights are rolling four lines, and all are contributing. The blue line, especially Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud, has largely kept Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett away from the Golden Knights net.

And everything looked like it was according to the Golden Knights’ script.

Florida coach Paul Maurice will return Bobrovksy to the net after pulling him in the second period of Game 2. After dominating with wins in 11 of 12 games, the Golden Knights scored eight goals on “Bob” in just over four periods.

Barring a meteor strike or act of God, Adin Hill starts for the Vegas Golden Knights.

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:

Verhaeghe-Barkov-Duclair