Stanley Cup Final: 3 reasons why the Panthers will win and 2 reasons they won’t
By Marci Rubin
Reasons why the Panthers won’t win: 1. The Golden Knights have more depth
While the Panthers have a lot of talent in the lineup, the Golden Knights have more depth on their roster. The Golden Knights are going to give the Panthers a tough time. Some of their forwards are Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault, Brett Howden, Mark Stone, and William Karlsson. It isn’t just the first and second lines that are scary; the Golden Knights can find the back of the net no matter what line is on the ice. The Golden Knights offense can out-battle the Panthers because the Panthers don’t have the same kind of star power in their lineup. The Panthers will need to scratch and claw with all of their might to match the Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights’ strongest defensemen are Alec Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo, who will look to shut down the Panthers’ offense. The rest of their defensemen are tough customers, too. The Panthers may struggle to get past them. Up and down the lineup, the Golden Knights contribute to the game. Vegas has a solid goalie in Adin Hill. Throughout the series, Hill will be tested by the Panthers’ offense. They will need to put pressure on Hill, but if he can stay strong, the Panthers will have a hard time scoring. With how both goalies have been playing, it might be a low-scoring series.
What it comes down to is that the Panthers can’t afford to make mistakes. The Golden Knights are the stronger team 5v5. Florida will need to capitalize on the power play and shut down Vegas on the penalty kill. Ultimately, if the Golden Knights play the way they’ve been playing, it will be difficult to beat them.