Stanley Cup Final Game 2: Bet on Panthers to even series with Golden Knights

Vegas came back from a 2-1 deficit to win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on home ice. So naturally, we have our Stanley Cup Final Game 2 Preview with a Golden Knights vs. Panthers prediction.

Vegas won in a convincing 5-2 fashion, but I’m unsure if the final score reflects how the game played out.

So, I’m probably buying the Panthers in Game 2.

Odds via BetMGM.

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The Golden Knights had seven power play opportunities in Game 1.

Florida had 46 penalty minutes compared to Vegas’ 18.

The Panthers went 0-for-3 on their power play opportunities.

To say the final score was a bit flattering for the Knights is an understatement.

I’m not one to complain about the officiating, but there were some tough calls against the Panthers in this one (I’m not sure there can be a penalty-minute differential this large without some).

Also, Matthew Tkachuk’s late-game ejection was important for the advanced box scores. The late-game empty net goal blew the Expected Goals Battle out of control – remember, it was only 3-2 with six minutes left.

And, aside from the penalties and empty netters, the Panthers should feel okay about their performance in Game 1.

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The even-strength numbers are great for the Panthers. Almost every site had them either even with or beating Vegas in the even-strength Expected Goals battle. The Panthers won the Corsi For battle, out-shot the Knights, and even had a 57% Expected Goals share in the first period.

It was expected that Vegas would have a huge 5-on-5 advantage, so these numbers are very promising for Florida. As long as the penalty minutes even out, we should expect a much-better result for the Panthers in Game 2.

The Panthers have yet to lose back-to-back games during this playoff run. They’ve posted an 8-2 record in road playoff games.

These Cats love to bounce back, and they’re undervalued after a wacky, misleading Game 1 final score. Evolving Hockey’s projections have the Panthers winning Game 2 about 52% of the time.

It’s worth taking a shot with the Panthers at a solid plus-money price.

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