The glorious run of the Florida Panthers continues into the Stanley Cup Finals, as the second wild card and the last team to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference has taken down all comers to get to the last round. They face a Vegas Golden Knights team that had one of the best records in the NHL after the All-Star break, turning a disappointing start to the season into an electric finish and a Pacific Division crown. The series opens in Las Vegas, so let’s take a look at our NHL betting insights on the game.
NHL Betting Preview for the Stanley Cup Finals, Game 1: Florida Panthers at Vegas Golden Knights
When: Saturday, June 3, 2023, 8:00 pm ET
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las VEgas
TV: TNT
Radio: No National Broadcast
Live Stream: Sling TV
NHL Odds: Vegas -130 / Florida +110 / O/U 5.5
Why should you bet on the Panthers?
With 50 goals so far in this postseason, the Florida Panthers have ridden their style of breakneck speed up front with hopeful backchecking to a final. It almost ended three rounds ago, as the Panthers fell behind the Boston Bruins, three games to one. Then came Sergei Bobrovsky, who has put the team on his back and become the league’s favorite to win the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP, stopping 110 of the last 111 shots he has seen. The team has permitted 2.68 goals per game in these playoffs, but that average is dropping fast, as Bobrovsky only permitted six goals in the team’s four-game sweep in the conference finals. He has a mammoth .935 save percentage and a 2.21 GAA, having faced 504 shots and posted a 14.5 goals saved above average.
The Panthers are getting plenty of scoring from plenty of skaters. Matthew Tkachuk has been the overtime hero, and he has combined with Carter Verheghe and Aleksander Barkov to post 19 goals and 31 assists in these playoffs. Anthony Duclair, Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett have played well on the lower scoring lines, combining for 14 goals and 17 assists. Defenseman Brandon Montour has chipped in six goals and three assists. The defense has created plenty of turnovers, with Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling excelling as the top pair. With this system, the Panthers could also frustrate a Vegas team that, so far, has proven unflappable.
Bet on the Panthers!
Why should you put your money on the Golden Knights?
The most impressive number from Vegas’ run to the Cup Final is 3.64: their goals scored per game. Jonathan Marchessault and Jack Eichel have combined for 15 goals and 20 assists, but the worker bees are also lighting the lamp. William Karlsson, Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev have combined to post 22 goals and 22 assists, and defensemen Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo have chipped in with a goal and 15 assists combined.
The defense has permitted just 2.64 goals per game, giving the team a +1.00 goal margin on average in the playoffs. They shut out a prolific Dallas Stars offense twice in the Western Conference finals, and Adin Hill has been immense in goal since taking over for injured Lauren Brossoit, posting a .937 save percentage and a 2.07 GAA.
Bet on the Golden Knights!
Final Score and Prediction
The Panthers come in with more time to rest, as they swept their conference final, while the Golden Knights needed six games to dispatch Dallas. Both teams come in with goalies playing at the absolute top of their games, but it is the Golden Knights’ system that has produced more consistently on offense. I expect a deep series, and I see the home team starting out with a big win in front of their fans. I predict a final score of Vegas 3, Florida 2.
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