Golden Knights vs. Panthers prediction: Bet on Florida to cover the Game 3 puck line

The Florida Panthers looked all out of sorts in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. It was a discouraging showing from the Cats given the situation — they played decently well but made too many mistakes in a Game 1 loss — but it’s not like this team hasn’t been in this situation before.

Not only did the Panthers come back from a 3-1 series deficit against the record-setting Boston Bruins in Round 1, but Florida was basically given no chance to make the playoffs after a four-game losing streak in late March. The Cats responded with six wins on the spin and rode that momentum all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

Can the Panthers get the job done in a must-win Game 3?

Odds via BetMGM.

Even though they lost, 5-2, in Game 1, there were a lot of positives for the Panthers. They played well at 5-on-5, but lost the game through a lack of discipline.

That should have been a fixable issue and expecting a response from Florida on Monday night seemed like a logical approach to Game 2. Instead, the Panthers wilted, lost their composure and played their worst game of the postseason.

A performance like that, especially to put a team down 0-2 in a best-of-7, will get the narrative machine rolling. The parade is already being planned for the Vegas Strip.

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But just because Florida looked poor in Game 2 and is down 0-2 in the series doesn’t mean that it won’t find its way back into the Stanley Cup Final. And all the momentum Vegas has built up over the first two games should offer value-hunters the opportunity to get some decent prices on the Panthers ahead of Game 3.

One angle that I think will provide value is betting against Adin Hill. The former San Jose Shark was brought into Vegas as an insurance policy over the summer after Robin Lehner had hip surgery but has been called into action thanks to injuries to Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit. Hill’s been fabulous so far in the playoffs, but his career numbers suggest he’s an average NHL backup and that his numbers should dip at some point.

Perhaps it all happens at once, like we saw with Bobrovsky in Vegas. A play on Florida to cover the puck line at +200 seems worthwhile.

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