Adin Hill’s save in the opening game of the NHL finals became one of the classics. Vegas’ night was crowned by a 5–2 win over Florida.
Adin Hill took quite a ghost fight. AOP / USA TODAY SPORTS
The NHL final series started early Sunday morning Finnish time with the first meeting between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers.
Vegas won the opening final in their home hall with a final score of 5–2. The match, which progressed steadily for a long time, was decided in the third set, which Vegas won 3–0.
The biggest talking point of the match was seen at the beginning of the second period, when the Vegas goalkeeper Adin Hill made a truly dazzling save. Hill stopped Florida with his stick in the situation Nick Cousins corporate.
Cousins had an almost completely empty goal net in front of him, but the Vegas guard managed to stretch his stick in front of the puck. The loose puck from the save didn’t go into the goal either.
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Flying departure to Florida
Florida got off to a great start in the finals when the team’s veteran player Eric Staal managed to score the old-fashioned opening goal of the series underpowered in the opening set.
Anton Lundell got an assist for Staal’s goal, and the Finn’s preliminary work was otherwise very strong. Shortly after Staal’s hit, Florida was very close to the second goal, when Matthew Tkachuk shot with superior power to the post.
However, the opening set was very even, and Vegas managed to equalize with their second advantage of the match. Scored a 1-1 goal Jonathan Marchessault.
Vegas took the reins, Florida stepped up
After Hill’s magical stick save, the Golden Knights took strong control of the game in their home court during the second period.
Vegas took a 2-1 lead just after the halfway point of the match. Defender Shea Theodore played a skillful line play and then shot the puck past the Florida keeper Sergei Bobrovsky past.
Late in the second period, however, Florida improved, and among other things Alexander Barkov hit the post.
Also in the very last seconds of the second period, Florida hit the post again. However, immediately after this Florida Anthony Duclair tied immediately after Barkov’s opening victory to 2-2 ten seconds before the break.
Tkachuk was goofing off
The final set was a long time of close play until the Vegas defender Zach Whitecloud shot the home team into the lead again.
Florida star Tkachuk’s loose puck in his own zone just over six minutes before the end pretty much decided the match, as the Vegas captain Mark Stone cut it out of the air and shot the puck into the goal. The goal was still checked on video for a high stick.
Tkachuk’s nerves burned after this, when he received a 2+10 minute penalty for violence. Florida’s streak was crushed, and Vegas was able to play the last minutes of the match with superiority.
The final score was 5–2 to an empty Florida goal Reilly Smith.
Florida forward Eetu Luostarinen was unable to play in the opening final due to an injury sustained in the previous series. There are no Finns playing in Vegas.
The final series continues in Las Vegas on Tuesday morning Finnish time.