From their very first season five years ago, the Golden Knights made it clear they would need no grace period from their inception to become championship contenders. On Tuesday night, the NHL’s second-youngest team took its turn in hoisting the Stanley Cup and clinching its first-ever title with Game 5’s 9–3 win over the Panthers.
In front of a raucous home crowd, Vegas jumped on Florida early, claiming a 2–0 lead after the first period. Following a goal from Florida’s Aaron Ekblad early in the second that made the score 2–1, Vegas rattled off four goals in the final 10 minutes of the period to take a 6–1 lead and remove any chance that the series would be extended beyond Tuesday.
TIME TO CELEBRATE VEGAS 🙌
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 14, 2023
In their sixth NHL season, the Golden Knights are STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS ⚔️🏆 pic.twitter.com/YiUPPCvCQD
The result ends a Cinderella run for Florida, who shocked the top-seeded Bruins in the first round before ripping through the rest of the Eastern Conference to make the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in franchise history.
Vegas’s Mark Stone notched three goals for his second career postseason hat trick. Six other players added a goal apiece, while Jack Eichel had a team-high three assists.
For the Golden Knights, the win caps an impressive first six seasons of existence after first taking the ice in the 2017–18 season. Vegas made the Stanley Cup Final that year, and has qualified for the postseason in five of its first six years.
Now, the franchise has the NHL’s top prize, solidifying the Mojave Desert as a hockey hotspot.
