The second time was the charm for the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights, a recent expansion addition to the NHL (joined in 2017), reached the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season but lost in five games to the Washington Capitals.
Vegas made it back to the Final this season and claimed Lord Stanley’s chalice by beating the Florida Panthers in five games, backing owner Bill Foley’s prediction the team would win the Stanley Cup in six years.
The NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks – led by Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) won the title in 1971 in their third season.
MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks won the 2001 World Series in their fourth season and the then-Florida Marlins won it all in 1997 in their fifth season.
The surprising Panthers – the third No. 8 seed to reach the Final – were playing for the Cup for the second time since joining the league in 1993. The Colorado Avalanche swept the Panthers in 1996.
Vegas was the top seed from the Western Conference with 111 points in the regular season, 19 more than Florida.
SERIES WINNER
Golden Knights: -2000 (bet $10 to win $10.50 total)
Panthers: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
HEAD-TO-HEAD REGULAR SEASON
Jan. 12: at Golden Knights 4, Panthers 2
March 7: at Panthers 2, Golden Knights 1
Schedule, scores for the series (Vegas wins 4-1):
Game 1: Golden Knights 5, Panthers 2
Game 2: Golden Knights 7, Panthers 2
Game 3: Panthers 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 4: Golden Knights 3, Panthers 2
Game 5: Golden Knights 9, Panthers 3
The Panthers were hoping to become the second No. 8 seed to win the Stanley Cup under the current format, joining the Los Angeles Kings (2012).
Florida is not a fluke after rallying from a 3-1 deficit in the first round to oust the Boston Bruins – the heavy favorite to win it all entering the postseason – then bumping the favored Toronto Maple Leafs in the conference semifinals in five games.
Vegas used a strong second half to charge into the playoffs.
The Golden Knights were 29-18-4 and on a four-game skid heading into the All-Star break.
Vegas won five in a row after the break en route to the Pacific Division title.
Heading into the season, Vegas (+2500) was a much longer shot to win the Cup than the Panthers (+900). Florida was at +11000 after falling behind Boston 3-1 in the first round.
Here are the previous 10 Stanley Cup winners:
2022: Colorado Avalanche
2021: Tampa Bay Lightning
2020: Tampa Bay Lightning
2019: St. Louis Blues
2018: Washington Capitals
2017: Pittsburgh Penguins
2016: Pittsburgh Penguins
2015: Chicago Blackhawks
2014: Los Angeles Kings
2013: Chicago Blackhawks
CONN SMYTHE TROPHY ODDS
Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player to his team in the playoffs.
Here were the top six betting favorites heading into Game 5:
Jonathan Marchessault, Golden Knights right wing: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Adin Hill, Golden Knights goalie: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Jack Eichel, Golden Knights center: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers right wing: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Mark Stone, Golden Knights right wing: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers goalie: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
CONN SMYTHE WINNERS SINCE 2013
2022 Cale Makar, Avalanche defenseman
2021 Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning goalie
2020 Victor Hedman, Lightning defenseman
2019 Ryan O’Reilly, Blues center
2018 Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals left wing
2017 Sidney Crosby, Penguins center
2016 Sidney Crosby, Penguins center
2015 Duncan Keith, Blackhawks defenseman
2014 Justin Williams, Kings right wing
2013 Patrick Kane, Blackhawks right wing
2012 Jonathan Quick, Kings goalie
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