Yesterday’s Results for Florida Panthers vs Vegas Golden Knights

VEGAS WRITER'S NHL STANLEY CUP POWER PLAY

Analysis: The Vegas Golden Knights just played Monday night in Dallas. They beat the Stars, 6-0, to advance to their second Stanley Cup Final in six years. The Florida Panthers pulled off the unthinkable with series wins over Boston, Toronto and Carolina. But they've been off for nine days, and I believe there is something to be said about momentum wearing off. Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was amazing. I'll give that to him. But he needed to keep playing. This is far too much time off to face the Golden Knights' depth. Vegas can roll four lines, and has been getting impressive production from all of its forwards. From William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, William Carrier and Chandler Stephenson. Does Florida have depth? Yes. But the Panthers - who have lost five straight in Vegas - haven't been slammed into the boards in 10 days. They've been practicing, sure. But they haven't seen game-time action in too long. They haven't caught a hip check from Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb. They haven't tried to stop a streaking Chandler Stephenson. They haven't been dangled by Eichel or Karlsson. Vegas will take Game 1, making it seven straight (outside of the bubble year) seasons the home team wins the Stanley Cup opener.