Game 1 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals between Florida and Vegas lived up to all the billing with the Knights scoring three times in the third period for a 5-2 home win. They are favored again at home Monday in Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead.

Teams that own a 1-0 series lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final hold an all-time series record of 63-20 (.759), including a 50-10 (.833) mark when starting at home and 13-10 (.565) when pulling ahead on the road.

Nitrobetting is here to turn your betting slapshots into winning goals with betting tips and news coverage throughout the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. This time, let’s break down the upcoming Game 2 Stanley Cup Final showdown between the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights.

Panthers vs. Golden Knights Game 2 2023 Stanley Cup Final Information

• When: Monday, June 5, 2023, 8:00 PM ET
• Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
• TV: TNT, TBS, truTV, CBC, SN, TVAS
• Radio: 99.9 The Fan (Panthers) // KKGK 98.9 FM (Golden Knights)
• Live Stream: NHL Network
• NHL Betting Odds: Panthers (+1.5) / Golden Knights (-1.5)

Why Bet on the Florida Panthers?

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had been the Conn Smythe Trophy favorite entering the series but allowed four goals on 33 shots in the loss. Bobrovsky’s five-game winning streak came to an end in his worst effort since Game 6 of the first round.

Eric Staal and Anthony Duclair had the Florida goals. Staal opened the scoring midway through the first period shorthanded. The 38-year-old has two points over his last two games since he snapped a 12-game skid. Staal became the third player on record to score the opening goal of a Stanley Cup Final while shorthanded, following Kirk Maltby with the 1997 Red Wings (at Philadelphia) and Bucko McDonald with the 1936 Maple Leafs (at Detroit).

Duclair’s tally late in the second period tied the game at 2-2, but the Panthers couldn’t sustain that momentum into the third. The winger has scored in consecutive contests and now has four goals this postseason.

Why Bet on the Vegas Golden Knights?

Vegas got the go-ahead goal in Game 1 from Zach Whitecloud with just over 13 minutes left. Five of his six points this postseason have come in the team’s four series-opening contests. The defenseman isn’t the most consistent scorer, but he’s provided solid defense from the third pairing with a plus-12 rating, 34 hits and 31 blocked shots through 18 playoff appearances. Whitecloud was the No. 1 star in Game 1.

Mark Stone added an insurance goal with less than seven minutes to go before Reilly Smith’s empty-net tally sealed the 5-2 win. Stone was held off the scoresheet in his previous four appearances and the captain has racked up seven goals, 16 points, 40 shots on net and a plus-4 rating through 18 playoff outings.

Smith recorded his franchise-leading fourth goal in the Stanley Cup Final and has now scored in three straight Final contests dating to Game 4 in 2018. The only players with a longer such streak (spanning years) over the past 40 years are Mario Lemieux (7 GP), Wayne Gretzky (6 GP), Brian Propp (4 GP), Sergei Fedorov (4 GP) and Ryan O’Reilly (4 GP).

Shea Theodore had a goal and assist. The defenseman was limited to two assists over six contests in the Western Conference Finals. He’s up to nine points, 34 shots, 28 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating through 17 playoff contests. Vegas owned 78.5% of the expected goals when Theodore was on the ice at five-on-five in Game 1.

Marchessault has scored all 10 of his playoff goals this spring in the last 11 contests. He tied the game at 1-1 late in the first period to give the Golden Knights some momentum after a sluggish start. Jack Eichel had two assists and has posted five multi-point efforts in the playoffs.

Netminder Adin Hill had a spectacular save, wrenching back in the crease and extending his stick to keep Florida’s Nick Cousin from scoring what would have been a surefire goal early in the second period. Hill got his blade in front of the puck just in time to keep the score tied. The save flipped the momentum of the hockey game.

It was reminiscent of the stop made by Washington’s Braden Holtby in Game 2 of the 2018 final in Vegas. It became known as “the save” in Capitals lore after they won the Cup for the first time in franchise history. Hill leads all goalies this postseason with a .937 save percentage and has stopped an impressive 6.4 goals above expected.

Nine times this postseason Vegas has fallen behind in a game during these playoffs only to come back and win.

Panthers vs. Golden Knights Betting Trends

• Panthers are 11-2 in the last 13 overall.
• Panthers are 8-3 in its last 11 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
• The total went under in 7 of Florida’s last 8 games when playing as the underdog.
• Golden Knights are 4-0 in the last 4 Monday games.
• Golden Knights are 5-0 in its last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
• The total went over in 6 of Vegas’ last 9 games.

Panthers vs. Golden Knights 2023 Stanley Cup Final Game 2 Expert Betting Predictions

Vegas 4, Florida 2.

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READ MORE: Golden Knights vs. Panthers 2023 Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Odds and Preview – June 8th