NHL-Vegas hits the jackpot, beat Florida to win Stanley Cup
2023.06.13 23:28
© Reuters. Jun 13, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; The Vegas Golden Knights celebrate the win over the Florida Panthers in game five of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
(Reuters) -The Vegas Golden Knights hit the ultimate National Hockey League jackpot on Tuesday by crushing the visiting Florida Panthers 9-3 to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in the expansion franchise’s six-year history.
With the victory, the Western Conference’s top-seeded Golden Knights closed out the best-of-seven championship series 4-1, triggering celebrations in and around the hotels and casinos along the famed Las Vegas Strip.
Vegas captain Mark Stone had three goals, Nicolas Hague, Alec Martinez, Reilly Smith, Michael Amadio, Ivan Barbashev and Nicolas Roy had one apiece while Adin Hill made 31 saves.
For Florida, it ended an impressive run by a resilient team that squeaked into the playoffs as the final wildcard in the Eastern Conference and then beat three of the NHL’s top four clubs to reach their first Stanley Cup Finals since 1996.
The Panthers’ defeat also came a day after the Miami Heat lost to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals and ends what had been a mesmerizing two months during which both eighth-seeded teams enthralled South Florida.
