By Zane Miller
On Tuesday, June 13th, 2023, the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada to win the 109th Stanley Cup Finals four games to one. It was the first Stanley Cup championship for the Golden Knights franchise. These are the top five players that I felt most stood out during the series.
5. #19 Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers)- F
Tkachuk shared player of the game honors in game three, scoring the game tying goal with just over two minutes remaining in regulation time along with an assist as the Panthers won it 3-2 in overtime for their only victory in the series.
4. #20 Chandler Stephenson (Golden Knights)- F
After defeating Vegas in the 2018 Finals as a member of the Washington Capitals, Stephenson earned player of the game in game four thanks to scoring the first two goals of the matchup as the Golden Knights held on to win 3-2 and maintain their series lead.
3. #27 Shea Theodore (Golden Knights)- D
Theodore was player of the game in the opening game of the series, nabbing a goal and an assist as the Golden Knights picked up the 5-2 win with Theodore eventually becoming the highest-scoring defenseman of the series.
2. #81 Jonathan Marchessault (Golden Knights)- F
Marchessault captured player of the game honors in game two, contributing two goals and an assist as the Golden Knights cruised to a 7-2 victory, setting the tone for the remainder of the series.
1. #61 Mark Stone (Golden Knights)- F
Stone claimed player of the game honors in game five, getting three goals to score the first hat trick in a Stanley Cup Final since 1996 as the Golden Knights dominated the series-clinching game 9-3, as Stone contributed the most points of any player during the series.
Players of the Game breakdown:
Link to stats database: https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/2023-florida-panthers-vs-vegas-golden-knights-stanley-cup-final.html
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