In the latest hockey news, we are now at the most exciting part of the NHL, the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals. In the opening game of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers will face off in an attempt to see who can win their first Stanley Cup. After losing to the Washington Capitals in five games back in 2018, Vegas, who only joined the league during the 2017–18 season, is making its second Stanley Cup Final trip. Quite an achievement for such a young team.
On their journey to the Stanley Cup Final in 2023, Bruce Cassidy’s team won games against the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets to finish first in the Pacific Division during the regular season. On the other side, Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers barely made it into the Eastern Conference’s second Wild Card berth and the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Boston Bruins were eventually defeated by Florida in seven games after a comeback. Those who know where to bet on sports with the best sportsbooks will be very interested to see how both teams will go up head to head in the series.
2023 Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 Preview
The T-Mobile Arena’s first game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET. According to the most recent Golden Knights vs. Panthers odds from online sportsbooks, Vegas is the -140 favorite, and 5.5 goals will be scored overall. If you have the Easy Bookie Pay Per Head, then you will not need to worry about the lines as they move up until game time. This gives you time to focus on managing the wagers you will get for the first game of the finals.
Tkachuk has been a major reason why the Panthers have won 11 of their previous 12 games. The 25-year-old left winger has four game-winning goals and a franchise postseason record 21 points in these playoffs. Florida has a perfect 6-0 record in overtime during their current postseason run, where three of those game-winners were scored. But there is something to be said for the Vegas Golden Knights, and they are capable of starting off strong to take a lead in the series.
