Panthers comeback in OT, win Game 3 of Stanley Cup Final

SUNRISE —  Quietness and frustration could be felt across FLA Live Arena for a large portion of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. With the Panthers on the brink of an 0-3 series deficit, the Panthers were moments away from putting themselves in the toughest hole in sports.   

 

But as this Panthers team has done all season, they got their lifeline in at the last moment and brought joy and relief to the players and fans. 

 

After tying the game with 2:13 left — the Panthers once again clawed back in Comeback Cats fashion, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 off of a Carter Verhaeghe overtime goal to get their first win in the Stanley Cup Final.

 

The Panthers still trail the series 2-1 heading into Saturday’s Game 4 at home, however they got what they came for, a win in Game 3. 

 

Florida hit their home ice jumping tonight, determined to bounce back after their 7-2  blowout loss in Game 2. 

 

The Panthers clearly felt the buzz from the fans in Sunrise — who were seeing their team play in a home Stanley Cup Final game for the first time in 27 years. 

 

The Panthers got the early jump they needed under five minutes into the game.

 

Matthew Tkachuk patiently held onto the puck along the boards before hitting Brandon Montour. Montour walked in from the point and sniped his first goal of the series past Adin Hill. 

 

That one was for his son Kai, who was born earlier this week. 

 

A few shifts later, the Panthers would head to the power play for the first time in the game after Sam Bennett got nailed by a high-stick. As the play was developing, Matthew Tkachuk got laid out at open ice by Keegan Kolesar. Tkachuk would stay on for the power play but that would be it for him in the first. He did not return in the period after playing 3:10. He would however come back to the game in the second period.

 

For whatever reason he was pulled from the game, Tkachuk didn’t seem to be affected when he came back.

 

 “I feel great, I’m ready to go,” Tkachuk said postgame.

 

Florida had Vegas on their heels to start the game, leading 1-0 while holding the Knights to just two shots until the final five minutes of the period. 

 

With the two sides playing 4-on-4 hockey, Anthony Duclair was called for a tripping penalty against the boards. The reaction of head coach Paul Maurice, who was caught saying “wow” on the broadcast, was much like the rest of the arena — questioning the call that put the Knights’ hot  power play on a 4-on-3.

 

In the first two games of the series, Vegas’ power play scored twice a game, and they capitalized on those chances quickly. The early game power play success would be there again tonight for the Knights. 

 

Vegas didn’t let this chance slip away from them. Mark Stone tipped a shot from Jonathan Marchessault past Srgei Bobrosvky — tying the game at 1-1 on Vegas’ only best chance of the period.

 

The two sides would go into the first intermission even.

 

The Vegas power play was once again all over the Panthers tonight. In a repeat of what was seen in Games 1-2, the Knights put up a double on the power play again.

 

With Aleksander Barkov in the box for an interference penalty — yes Barkov — the Knights went to work on the man-advantage again in the second period.

 

Former Panther Jonathan Marchessault has been a thorn in opposition’s sides all postseason, including his old team. Marchessault did it again tonight. He got the puck in his favorite spot around the faceoff circle and buried his 13th goal of the playoffs past Bobrovsky to give Vegas a 2-1 lead. That was his fourth goal of the series.

 

While the Knights have feasted a man up in the series, the Panthers couldn’t buy a power play goal through for a third straight game,

 

The Knights took a 2-1 lead into the third  — outshooting Florida 20-13 through two. 

 

A large portion of the third period was much like the second for the Panthers. Florida couldn’t get their power play going and they didn’t generate too many quality looks 5-on-5 either.

 

Down 2-1 in the game and 0-2 in the series, Florida’s fortune looked to be running out as the game clock quickly trickled down.

 

With 2:13 left in the third, trailing by one and the goalie pulled, Matthew Tkachuk brought life back into the stadium and the Panthers season… again. 

 

With a ton of bodies in front of Adin Hill’s net, Carter Verhaeghe fired a one-timer towards the traffic. Mr. Always in front of the net Matthew Tkachuk had the puck roll right to him. No. 19 tapped in one of the easier goals he will score in his career — the Panthers tied the game at 2-2.

 

Overtime was on the horizon in Sunrise and the momentum belonged to the home team.

 

As the final seconds ticked down on regulation, Vegas got one more big chance to take a 3-0 series lead. 

 

With 12 seconds remaining, Gustav Forsling was called for a tripping penalty — sending Vegas to the power play in basically a sudden death scenario.

 

Replays showed what looked to be an extremely iffy call, dying seconds in the game or not. Paul Maurice showed his displeasure on the bench, uttering his thoughts to the officials on the call.

 

Tied after regulation the two sides would go to overtime in Sunrise, with Vegas starting the first 110 seconds with a power play. 

 

Florida, who already conceded two short handed goals in the game, now had the most important penalty kill of the season. If they didn’t shut down the red hot Knights power play, they’d be down 0-3 in the series.

 

The Panthers would get the job done, getting back to even-strength and getting the already on edge crowd back on their feet.

 

FLA Live Arena did not have to wait much longer to take a deep breath and get back on their feet. 

 

4:27 into OT, Carter Verhaeghe — who will go down as one of the most clutch players in Florida Panthers’ history — added another huge milestone to his resume. 

 

Panthers’ forward Sam Bennett made a slick move at the top of the blue line to cut back to the middle of the ice before he found a wide open Verhaeghe between the faceoff circles.

 

Verhaeghe corralled the puck and immediately fired it towards goal, beating Adin Hill cleanly — winning the game 3-2 for the Panthers.

 

Verhaeghe picked up another playoff overtime goal and more importantly, got the Panthers back in the series with their first win in the Stanley Cup Final. 

 

“To win in overtime in front of our own fans, it gives us a little bit of momentum,” said Verhaeghe. “We saw it right from the start in the first period. We fed off our home crowd.”