Stanley Cup Finals: Carter Verhaeghe nets overtime game-winner for Panthers vs. Golden Knights

The Golden Knights were on the brink of taking a 3-0 lead over the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals. Instead, a late equalizer by Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk in the waning moments of the third period led to a game-winning overtime goal from Carter Verhaeghe to give the never-say-die Panthers a 3-2 win. 

Now, Paul Maurice’s team heads into Saturday’s Game 4 in Sunrise, Florida trailing 2-1 following the first Stanley Cup victory in Panthers franchise history. 

The Panthers are 7-0 in these playoffs in OT – actually winning more games in extra sessions than they´ve won in regulation. 

‘We’re the Cats,’ Verhaeghe said. ‘We have whatever lives we have, but it’s awesome. It shows how great our team is and the guys on our team have no quit in them.’

Tkachuk tied it with 2:13 left in the third period for the Panthers, who got the franchise’s first title-series game win in seven tries. Florida had to fend off a power play to start overtime, and Verhaeghe got the winner with Tkachuk providing some traffic in front of the net.

Knights goalie Adin Hill watches as Matthew Tkachuk scores the late equalizer for the Panthers

Rubber rats are tossed onto the ice by fans after the game-winning goal by Carter Verhaeghe

‘I had a little bit of time to walk in and shoot,’ Verhaeghe said. ‘I´m so happy it went in.’

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots for Florida. Adin Hill made 20 saves for Vegas, but got beat on the only shot that came his way in overtime.

Brandon Montour also scored for Florida, which pulled Bobrovsky down 2-1 late in the third for the extra attacker and Tkachuk – who left for parts of the first and second periods after taking a big hit – made that move pay off when he tied the game.

His goal breathed life into a very nervous building. But the Panthers were furious – and replays showed they had a case – when Gustav Forsling was sent to the box with 11.2 seconds remaining for tripping. Florida survived that scare, and a few minutes later, had life in the series again.

The odds are still long, but the Panthers at least have a bit more statistical hope now. Of the previous 55 teams to trail 2-1 at this point of the Stanley Cup Final, 11 have actually rallied to hoist the trophy.

Goaltender Adin Hill  makes a save behind Matthew Tkachuk during the second period

It’s improbable, sure. So are the Panthers, who were the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, were down 3-1 to Boston in Round 1, were 133 seconds away from trailing this series 3-0 – and now have tons of reasons for optimism.

Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone each had power-play goals for Vegas. Marchessault’s goal was his 13th in his last 13 playoff games, his fourth of this series and his third with the man advantage.

As if all that wasn´t enough, there was a little history in there as well. Vegas joined the 1980 New York Islanders as the only team with at least two power-play goals in three consecutive games in the Cup final. And Marchessault became the third player in the last 35 years to score in each of the first three games of a title series – joining Steve Yzerman in 1997 with Detroit and Jake Guentzel with Pittsburgh in 2017.

But it wasn’t enough to give Vegas a 3-0 lead in the series.