No team in over 25 years has been more dominant than the Vegas Golden Knights through the first two games of a Stanley Cup Final.

They have outscored the Florida Panthers by eight goals, including Monday nightB次元官网网址檚 (June 5) 7-2 victory in Game 2 that put the Knights two wins from the first championship in the franchiseB次元官网网址檚 short six-year history.

It will take a rare rally for the Panthers to come back as the series shifts to Florida for Game 3 on Thursday. Teams that took a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final are 31-3 in the expansion era, but the Panthers opened the playoffs by storming back from 3-1 down to beat the heavily favored Boston Bruins.

Florida will have to significantly up its level of play to beat a Vegas team that won by three goals on Saturday and then five in this game. The last team to win the first two games of a Cup Final by more than eight combined goals was the 1996 Colorado Avalanche B次元官网网址� who outscored the Panthers by nine.

B次元官网网址淚 think our depth has been a strength all year,B次元官网网址� Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. B次元官网网址淚t is the biggest reason we are still here, why we beat Winnipeg, Edmonton, Dallas. I just feel that we have the best team from player one through 20.B次元官网网址�

Jonathan Marchessault scored twice for the Knights and started an early blitz that chased Sergei Bobrovsky, the NHLB次元官网网址檚 hottest postseason goalie.

Marchessault also had an assist to finish with three points. His 12 postseason goals set a Golden Knights record, with all of them coming after the first round. The only player with more following the opening round was Pavel Bure, who scored 13 for Vancouver in 1994.

B次元官网网址淭hey want to set the tone with being undisciplined like Game 1 and we set the tone back,B次元官网网址� Marchessault said. B次元官网网址淚t was scoring that first goal there. But weB次元官网网址檙e still pretty far from our goal here.B次元官网网址�

Brett Howden scored twice for the Knights, who also got goals from Alec Martinez, Nicolas Roy and Michael Amadio. Six players had at least two points for Vegas, all 18 Knights skaters were on the ice for even-strength goals and their nine goal scorers through the first two games are a Stanley Cup Final record. The KnightsB次元官网网址� seven goals tied a franchise mark for a playoff game.

It was too much for Bobrovsky, who was removed 7:10 into the second period down 4-0. It was the fifth time in 12 games the Knights have chased the opposing goalie.

Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, carried Florida through the Eastern Conference playoffs. Coming into the Stanley Cup Final, he had won 11 of his past 12 starts with a 1.95 goals-against average and .942 save percentage during that stretch. But heB次元官网网址檚 given up eight goals in 87 minutes against Vegas, compiling a 5.52 GAA and .826 save percentage in the series.

B次元官网网址淲e can be a little better in front of our goaltender,B次元官网网址� Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. B次元官网网址淚 got him out to keep him rested.B次元官网网址�

Matthew Tkachuk and Anton Lundell scored for Florida.

Adin Hill continued his stellar play in net with 29 saves for the Knights. Hill once again brought his feistiness as well as his A-game. He stopped Carter Verhaeghe on a breakaway in the first, and later that period hit Tkachuk, who was in his net, with his blocker and then slashed him with his stick.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 been unreal for us,B次元官网网址� Vegas forward William Carrier said. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 been unbelievable.B次元官网网址�

A group of four fans behind one of the nets wore sweaters that spelled out his last name, and Hill has often received the loudest cheers from Knights fans, reminiscent of when Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal for Vegas in its first three seasons.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 probably the most fun IB次元官网网址檝e ever had playing hockey,B次元官网网址� Hill said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 just enjoying it, cherishing every day. ItB次元官网网址檚 been awesome to be part of the journey with this team.B次元官网网址�

The Knights were dominant early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Marchessault and Martinez. It was VegasB次元官网网址� third game in a row with a power-play goal, its first such stretch since Christmas week.

The Panthers lost their biggest, toughest defenseman early in the game when Radko Gudas was injured on a hit by Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev. Gudas left 6:39 in and did not return.

That was one of several big hits by Barbashev, the Golden KnightsB次元官网网址� biggest trade-deadline acquisition, a Stanley Cup champion with St. Louis in 2019. Barbashev broke the sternum of Colorado defenseman Samuel Girard during the playoffs last year, also on a clean hit.

Vegas had its own scare late in the second period when Jack Eichel was nailed in the right shoulder by Tkachuk. Eichel returned in the third and set up MarchessaultB次元官网网址檚 second goal for his second assist of the game.

B次元官网网址淲e did a good job managing momentum tonight,B次元官网网址� Eichel said. B次元官网网址淎nd we got some timely goals.B次元官网网址�

Mark Anderson, The Associated Press

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