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Can the Panthers come back? The best takeaways from a beating in Las Vegas in Game 2 – UnlistedNews

The first two periods of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final were pretty even; in fact, the score was tied 2-2 heading into the third period of Game 1. Then the Vegas Golden Knights scored three straight goals to win 5-2…

… and then another four in a row to open Game 2, en route to a 7-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

As the scene shifts to Florida for Games 3 and 4, what have we learned so far, and how will those lessons affect the rest of the Finals?

ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Emily Kaplan, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski review their thoughts after a wild Game 2:


Bobrovsky or Lyons?

Do we have a goalie controversy in Florida? It’s hard to remember, but it was actually 30-year-old journeyman Alex Lyon who started the playoffs in net for the Panthers. He went 1-2 against the record-setting Bruins, Sergei Bobrovsky came in and well, the rest is history.

Bobrovsky made good on his $10 million per year contract with a .935 save percentage entering the Stanley Cup Final. But he has allowed eight goals in 4 1/2 quarters, getting pulled in Game 2 after the Golden Knights went up 4-0. That being said, the defensive coverage against him was less than spectacular. So who gets the nod in Game 3? — Kaplan

The wild night of Tkachuk

With 2:04 remaining in the second period, it looked like Matthew Tkachuk might have turned the face of the series with a legal punch.

As Vegas star Jack Eichel handled the puck with his stick, Tkachuk skated towards him with considerable speed. Eichel felt a strike coming from him, but as he braced for impact, his left skate hit the ice. That sent him awkwardly towards the charging Tkachuk, who sent Eichel onto the ice with a thunderous check.

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Jack Eichel leaves ice after major collision with Matthew Tkachuk

Jack Eichel immediately heads to the locker room after taking a hard hit from Matthew Tkachuk.

Eichel immediately left for the coaches’ room, raising concerns that the Golden Knights’ leading scorer may have been injured. Both Tkachuk and Las Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev received minor penalties for rudeness and misconduct 10 minutes later, as Barbashev chased after Tkachuk after the hit.

Fortunately for Las Vegas, Eichel only gasped and played the third period again, setting up a critical Jonathan Marchessault goal that made it 5-1 and put a final gamble on the Panthers’ heart for Game 2. Tkachuk returned. in the third period and earned his first point of the Stanley Cup Final, scoring his 10th goal of the playoffs at 12:44.

But then, at 2:01 p.m. of the third, Tkachuk’s night was officially over. He earned a second misconduct penalty in the game, and his third in the series. Coming off the ice, he slapped a plastic rat that had been thrown by a fan onto the boards. — wyshynski

No Gudas, big problems?

Losing Eetu Luostarinen after the Eastern Conference finals meant the Panthers no longer had a reliable depth option who has five points in 16 playoff games. But losing defenseman Radko Gudas for the rest of Game 2, and perhaps beyond, is the kind of loss made worse when they allowed a flurry of goals thereafter.

While Gudas ranks fifth among Panthers defensemen in 5-on-5 ice time, his Game 2 exit left the Panthers without a player who has seen the third-most ice time on his penalty. That loss was quickly felt, with Marchessault scoring shortly after Gudas was knocked out of the game following Barbashev’s strike.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice did not have an update on Gudas after the game. But he spoke of the importance of Gudas, saying: “He makes the most outstanding film because he is a very physical guy, but the quality of his game is very, very high. So you miss a guy like that when he comes out “. — clark

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Radko Gudas comes out of the game in the 1st period after taking a big hit

Radko Gudas leaves the game in the first half after a brutal blow from Ivan Barbashev.

Florida must be off to a better start

The Panthers have rarely been upset this postseason. The first period of Game 2 was one of the times they did it.

The Panthers were passive until the final minutes of the frame, and then tried to do something on the power play. In the end, they conceded two goals (one just past their man advantage) and looked deflated. It makes you wonder how resilient Florida can continue to be as this series progresses. The Panthers haven’t faced much adversity since that first-round series against the Boston Bruins, and even getting five shots on their first power play attempt wasn’t enough to put them on the scoreboard early.

Instead, they were playing from behind, again. They will be hoping for a better start in Game 3. — Shilton

Game without power for the Panthers

Before the Cup final began, it was believed that the Panthers’ power play could be a problem for the Golden Knights. The Panthers were successful almost 28% of the time with the extra skater advantage, while the Golden Knights struggled with a penalty kick that had a 63% success rate.

After two games, it’s the Panthers who are facing questions about their special teams. After faltering again in Game 2, they are now 0-for-7 on the power play of the series, against a team coming off their third straight game in which they have scored more than five goals. Getting the power play working again will go a long way to getting Florida back in this one. — clark

The task ahead of Florida

The Panthers have two hills to conquer now: Las Vegas goaltender Adin Hill, who is clearly focused and assisting some of the best goals of his NHL career; and Hill which is a 2-0 series deficit.

Teams with a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup playoffs have a series record of 347-55 (.863). In the 2023 postseason, teams are 5-1 in that situation. In the Stanley Cup final, the hill gets even steeper: Teams that take a 2-0 lead in the final have won the Cup 48 of 53 times.

When you take into account that the Golden Knights won 2-0 at home, that hill starts to look like Mount Kilimanjaro: 38 of the 41 teams that won the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final at home went on to win the series. That said, two teams in the salary cap era (2005-06 onwards) bounced back to win after losing the first two games of their road series: the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, who lost two games in Detroit before winning in seven, and the 2011 Bruins, who lost two games in Vancouver before winning in seven. So the climb will be tough for Florida, but the hill is not insurmountable. — wyshynski

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Jonathan Marchessault’s second goal reinforces the Golden Knights’ lead

Jonathan Marchessault scores his second goal to give the Golden Knights a 5-1 lead.

Barbashev comes in at the right time

Barbashev has been an absolute wrecking ball for the Golden Knights, though his linemates have gotten the lion’s share of attention in these playoffs. Eichel has been sensational leading the team in points (22) and stellar defensive play, while the original Golden Misfit Marchessault have been on an incredible run, scoring 12 goals in their last 12 games.

But Barbashev, acquired from the Blues at the 2023 trade deadline, has also been enthusiastic. It’s these kinds of smart acquisitions that have kept Vegas so competitive. Barbashev has delivered massive hits, sometimes two in a turn, including the hit that knocked Florida defenseman Gudas out of Game 2. The 27-year-old is an unrestricted free agent pending and likely earned a two-year raise. , $4.5 million contract that is ending this season. — Kaplan

The impressive depth of the Knights

How come the Golden Knights keep scoring goals at such a high rate? It goes back to getting those contributions from their entire lineup.

Knights coach Bruce Cassidy spoke about this after Game 1, when Shea Theodore and Zach Whitecloud scored. He said those goals were examples of the secondary and tertiary offense the Golden Knights need. Cassidy and the Golden Knights saw it again in Game 2 with another defenseman, Alec Martinez, scoring his first goal of the playoffs giving his team a 2-0 lead.

Martinez’s goal also gave the Golden Knights the distinction of being tied with the Seattle Kraken for the most individual scorers in the 2023 postseason, with 18. — clark

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Sara Marcus
Sara Marcushttps://unlistednews.com
Meet Sara Marcus, our newest addition to the Unlisted News team! Sara is a talented author and cultural critic, whose work has appeared in a variety of publications. Sara's writing style is characterized by its incisiveness and thought-provoking nature, and her insightful commentary on music, politics, and social justice is sure to captivate our readers. We are thrilled to have her join our team and look forward to sharing her work with our readers.
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