The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 9-3 and marched to the first NHL championship in their club history – a hat trick for the star player

Vegas marched to the NHL championship. Florida fell in the decisive fifth final 9–3. Captain Mark Stone scored a hat-trick.

The Vegas Golden Knights completely shut out the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the NHL Finals in Vegas. The home team won 9–3 and at the same time took the first Stanley Cup championship in club history.

The captain struck the opening strokes for the home team’s crushing victory Mark Stone after the halfway point of the opening set. The forward scored the opening goal wonderfully after Florida lost the puck. A moment later Nicolas Hague doubled the home team’s lead, again after a fumble by the Florida players.

In the second period, Vegas went after Florida’s tying goal. Aaron Ekblad scored the away team’s opening goal after just over two minutes of play. In the end, the goal remained a thin consolation for the Floridians.

Vegas has been great in the second half of games throughout the playoffs. This time, the team hit no less than four hits and also created a lot of goal chances. An experienced defender Alec Martinez scored his team’s third goal. Vegas took advantage of Florida’s incomplete exchange and Martinez was able to counter with an accurate wrist shot to give his team a two-goal lead again.

Barely a couple of minutes later Reilly Smith increased the home team’s lead to 4–1 after a really long run. Stone and Mike Amadio still managed to score, and the match seemed to be decided again in the second period.

– The first set is a bit of a feeling search. We get the rhythm and the confidence on, and the pucks go in, Vegas Chandel Stephenson commented after the set on his team’s convincing middle sets.

The second set was again a turning point for the match. Especially the first two Vegas goals of the set came at the end of long offensive zone pressures, which seemed to paralyze the visiting team.

– It was a full hill. In the 4–1 goal, in the defensive play of their own area, the batteries of the Florida guys were completely empty, expert Ismo Lehkonen stated Vegas to the commotion after the third goal.

The deciding set was more of a game, as there was no longer any doubt about the winner. Florida scored two goals when Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett brought meager consolation to the knocked-out away team. They succeeded from Vegas Ivan Barbashev and right at the closing moments Nicolas Roy. Captain Mark Stone capped off his great game in the third period by hitting the third goal into an empty Florida rucksack.

Vegas marched convincingly to the championship, leaving no chance for Florida to surprise.

– The team is a well-oiled machine that has been played really well. The middle lane and three pairs of defenders form a diamond hard lower triangle. All of them are hard-boiled professionals, Lehkonen led the team.

– Championships are won by defending. Vegas defends tenaciously and also attacks with the idea that I don’t consciously take risks that backfire badly. The whole team comes into its own when the game turns, he continued.

The most valuable player of the playoffs was awarded to Vegas Jonathan Marchessault. The attacker scored 13+12=25 in the playoffs.

Florida’s team suffered a bad setback even before the match, when the star striker Matthew Tkatchuk was not fit to play. Panthers coach Paul Maurice revealed after the match that the winger played in the fourth game despite suffering from a fractured sternum.