![]() But our backs are against the wall, obviously. We just try to take it – like everyone says – one at a time. “We’ve approached every game in the playoffs the same way. “Desperation and winning a game,” Florida veteran Marc Staal said. Down 2-0 in the title series to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Panthers return to home ice on Thursday night looking to spark one more epic turnaround and get right back in the hunt for hockey’s biggest prize. The Panthers needed a furious late-season push just to get into the playoffs as the lowest seed, then needed to win three consecutive elimination games to oust a record-setting Boston team in Round 1.Īnd now, another huge challenge awaits. Such is the story of Florida’s season, and it makes all the sense in the world that the plot has reappeared in the Stanley Cup Final. … Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was in the crowd, as was NBA great Charles Barkley, and former Dolphins star Dan Marino was the celebrity drummer to welcome the Panthers onto the ice. And Marchessault became the third player in the last 35 years to score in each of the first three games of a title series - joining Steve Yzerman in 1997 with Detroit and Jake Guentzel with Pittsburgh in 2017.īut it wasn’t enough to give Vegas a 3-0 lead in the series.īefore Thursday, Florida’s last home game in the title series was June 10, 1996, when Uwe Krupp scored in the third overtime for a 1-0 win as Colorado finished off a four-game sweep of the Panthers for the Cup. Vegas joined the 1980 New York Islanders as the only team with at least two power-play goals in three consecutive games in the Cup final. Marchessault’s goal was his 13th in his last 13 playoff games, his fourth of this series and his third with the man advantage.Īs if all that wasn’t enough, there was a little history in there as well. Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone each had power-play goals for Vegas. So are the Panthers, who were the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, were down 3-1 to Boston in Round 1, were 133 seconds away from trailing this series 3-0 - and now have tons of reasons for optimism. Of the previous 55 teams to trail 2-1 at this point of the Stanley Cup Final, 11 have actually rallied to hoist the trophy. The odds are still long, but the Panthers at least have a bit more statistical hope now. Florida survived that scare, and a few minutes later, had life in the series again. ![]() But the Panthers were furious - and replays showed they had a case - when Gustav Forsling was sent to the box with 11.2 seconds remaining for tripping. His goal breathed life into a very nervous building. Adin Hill made 20 saves for Vegas, but got beat on the only shot that came his way in overtime.īrandon Montour also scored for Florida, which pulled Bobrovsky down 2-1 late in the third for the extra attacker and Tkachuk - who left for parts of the first and second periods after taking a big hit - made that move pay off when he tied the game. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots for Florida. Florida had to fend off a power play to start overtime, and Verhaeghe got the winner from the slot to get the Panthers within 2-1 in the series. Matthew Tkachuk tied it with 2:13 left in the third period for the Panthers, who got the franchise’s first title-series game win in seven tries. Carter Verhaeghe scored 4:27 into overtime and the Florida Panthers pulled off some more postseason dramatics to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night. With Rust back on the shelf, Evan Rodrigues will get a crack at the first-line role with Sidney Crosby.SUNRISE, Fla. Prior to getting hurt, the 29-year-old winger racked up eight points in his last 10 contests. Rust won't travel with the team for an upcoming four-game road trip, which means the earliest he might return to action would be Dec. He did not make the trip with us - he is back in Pittsburgh rehabbing." Rust (lower body) was designated as week-to-week by coach Mike Sullivan, who told reporters, "His status right now is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
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