Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and the Vegas Golden Knights took a 2-0 lead in Monday’s Stanley Cup Final, this time beating the Florida Panthers 7-2.
One of six players with the Knights since the club’s debut, Marchessault scored at 7:05 in the first period and 2:10 in the third period. The 32-year-old Quebecer has scored 10 goals in nine games.
Brett Howden also scored twice, while Alec Martinez, Nicolas Roy and Michael Amadio completed. Goaltender Adin Hill made 28 saves.
“We showed some finishing,” said Las Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy. It was a good performance from us. Our guys were ready. »
Scored at 7:10 into the second period, Howden’s first goal chased away Sergei Bobrovsky, beaten four times on 13 shots.
Alex Lyon took over, blocking 12 of 15 shots.
“We can do a little better to help the goalie in front of the net,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said.
Vegas had won 5-2 in the curtain raiser. Game 3 will be shown Thursday night at Sunrise.
“What we need to improve, we have to tackle it without delay,” added Maurice. The game plan is going to be simple. We have to be more effective against their counter-attacks. »
Marchessault first scored with a wrist shot from the left circle, after a long pass from Chandler Stephenson.
The other accomplice was Jack Eichel, who had slipped the puck along the boards to Stephenson.
Ryan Lomberg of the Panthers was in jail, the result of a double check at the expense of Marchessault.
Martinez doubled the cushion at 17:59, on the heels of Florida’s best moments in the first period.
The Panthers buzzed long and took three good shots in a streak that included some rough play – Brayden McNabb tackled Matthew Tkachuk into the net, who in turn sought noise at Adin Hill.
Roy made it 3-0 with a shot from the right circle at 2:59 into the second period.
Sam Bennett missed a chance to reduce the margin then Howden widened it instead, assisted by captain Mark Stone.
Stone broke his stick but picked one up in time to stay in the thick of the action. He found himself on the right flank and quickly made a perfect pass into the slot to Howden, who converted the chance with a nice fake.
Anton Lundell responded early in the third period, before Marchessault’s 12th goal in the current playoffs. Left alone in front of goal, the Quebecer was spotted by Eichel, a solid forechecker.
Matthew Tkachuk signed the other goal for the Panthers, who hadn’t allowed seven goals since Feb. 18 in Nashville.
Hill set the tone by stopping Carter Verhaeghe on a breakaway in the fifth minute of the game.
“He did an exceptional job for us,” said William Carrier. He was amazing. »
The Knights concluded their inaugural season by reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2018. The Washington Capitals, however, prevailed in five games.
In their only previous appearance in the Finals, in 1996, the Panthers were swept by the Colorado Avalanche.