Stanley Cup: Golden Knights beat Panthers, fulfill owner’s promise to win in six years

That the Golden Knights of Las Vegas made the world disappear florida For the 9-3 Panthers to win their first Stanley Cup title in just five games is an impressive feat in itself.

But it’s almost unbelievable that the most recent expansion team did just six years after its inception, something owner Bill Foley actually predicted in 2016.

Yes, it’s been over six years since Foley famously promised new fans the Golden Knights title. finally lifted the cup with Las Vegas on Tuesday night.

Right winger Mark Stone scored a hat-trick and star center Jacques Eichel added three assists, but the biggest star may have been a desert town with a growing population of hockey fans.

Less than a year later, Las Vegas Aces Winning their first WNBA title, Sin City are increasingly at the heart of the sport. Always a mecca for boxing and sportsbooks, Las Vegas is now Raiders of the NFL and future F1 race Continuing efforts to attract MLB’s Oakland Athletics and NBA expansion franchise.

Mark Stone hoists the Stanley Cup in front of his teammates after scoring three goals

Members of the Vegas Golden Knights pose with the Stanley Cup after defeating the Panthers

“Vegas, you sure know how to throw a party,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told the crowd. “What’s happening in and out of this arena is unbelievable and proves what a great hockey market this is.

“What happened here was just incredible. Las Vegas is not just a hockey city, it’s a championship city.”

Coach Bruce Cassidy paid tribute to the Knights’ short history by starting five of the original Las Vegas players known as the Misfits, with the sixth on the second shift.

Cassidy was confident the day before the game that his team would play well, and he was right, blowing up a one-point lead in the second period to take a 6-1 lead.

Las Vegas drowned out the pre-game introductions of forward Jonathan Marcheseau and goaltender Addin Hill in front of a franchise-record 19,058 enthusiastic crowd at T-Mobile Arena before the end of the game. While cheering until the buzzer rang, they finished the series in five games and won the cup.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our team, our organization,” Marchesaux said. “Everybody stepped up at a different time, that’s why we’re the winners.”

Stone’s hat-trick (with 5 minutes and 54 seconds left in the third into an empty net) was the first Stanley Cup final since Peter Forsburg, Colorado, also against the Panthers in 1996.

Vegas Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel Defeats Panthers To Lift Stanley Cup

Las Vegas Golden Nights owner Bill Foley punches Jonathan Quick #32 after warm-up

The rest of the points for the Knights were scored by Nick Haig, Alec Martinez, Riley Smith, Michael Amadio, Ivan Barbachev and Nicholas Roy.

Martinez scored in the second period 9 years to date He scored two extra-time goals in Game 5 to give the Los Angeles Kings the trophy.

Hill put in another strong performance, quickly becoming a favorite with Knights fans and earning MVP honors. MVP! 3 period chants.

“This is everyone’s dream,” said Aishel. “When you come to an organization like this, you expect to win.

“They call them misfits, they are them, they built this. They built this culture. I’m so proud to be a part of it.”

As captain, Stone first lifted the cup before handing it to the six Misfits, who each took turns skating with the trophy before handing the trophy to the rest of the team.

“Unbelievable,” said Mr. Stone. “The look in my teammate’s eyes when I decided that was one of the craziest emotions I’ve ever felt. The feeling inside my stomach right now is indescribable. It’s It’s everything you can imagine: an 82-game season, four tough rounds of playoffs, you smash, you smash, and you smash.

Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett scored for Florida, while Sergey Bobrovski dominated the Vegas match after leading Florida to the final.

Keegan Kollcer celebrates on the ice with the Stanley Cup Champions towel after the game

A Golden Knights fan celebrating a goal dressed as legendary performer Elvis Presley

Young fans in Golden Knights costumes are held high in the third period

Playoff winning shot champ Matthew Tkachuk was out of the line-up, but he’s been on a roll ever since he was smashed in the shoulder by Las Vegas’ Keegan Kolesar in Game 3.

The Knights reached the Cup Finals in their first year and the playoffs in all but one year, setting the standard for what an expansion franchise should be. Six players remain from the early team in the 2017-18 season, which lost five games to the Washington Capitals in the finals.

These players watched the Capitals skate at the Stanley Cup that night, and then got the chance to do the same on Tuesday and fulfill owner Bill Foley’s quest to win a championship in his sixth year. rice field.

Having set such high standards from the start, the Knights played with high expectations, but repeatedly fell short of Game 5 against the Panthers, despite conceding four goals to at least the NHL semifinals. rice field.

It was Las Vegas’ second professional title in nine months, and the Aces won the WNBA Championship in September. And it continues the phenomenal growth of the sports market, which before the Golden Knights was largely confined to prize fighting, UNLV Athletics, NASCAR, and much of golf. threw the city into a storm.

The Raiders will start playing here in 2020, the Oakland Athletics look set to head to the desert, with F1 racing in Las Vegas this year, and the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in February.

Legendary rapper-turned-Hollywood producer 50 Cent is playing the game in his Las Vegas jersey

Photo of DJ Steve Aoki cheering for the Golden Knights at the Stanley Cup Finals

Actor Owen Wilson and his sons Ford and Finn have been photographed together watching the Stanley Cup.

As for the Knights, their ties to Las Vegas have been sealed since the Oct. 1, 2017 shooting that claimed the lives of 60 people. They played a key role in helping the city recover, reaching out to communities on the ice and winning big on the ice.

The win over Florida justified a number of moves that Knights management have made over the years to reshape the roster. Stone, Aichel and Alex Pietrangelo are among the most notable players Las Vegas has acquired to date.

And Cassidy, who was hired a week after being fired by the Boston Bruins last year, has proven to be the coach to get them there, leading Las Vegas to the top seed in the Western Conference and NHL champion. It looks like you hit all the right buttons in .

The Knights also won the title thanks to an unexpected goalie in Hill, who was injured at the start of the playoffs. Laurent Brosois was the starter before being forced out in Game 3 of the Game 2 series against the Edmonton Oilers with an injury, but then Hill got his chance.