Credit: Twitter
Vegas Golden Knights took a 1-0 lead in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals against Florida Panthers on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena. However, the heated brawl between the two sides made the headlines as Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk was captured taking a cheap shot at Golden Knights' Nicolas Hague in a viral video on social media.
Both the teams ended two periods with a 2-2 score and the Golden Knights went on to take the lead in the third period to finish the game 5-2. The game on Saturday was arguably Florida's worst performance in the 2023 playoffs and it was just the fourth time in this post-season that Tkachuk could not find the back of the net.
With 4:24 remaining in the third period and Vegas leading Florida 4-2, the Golden Knights were on a powerplay and a massive brawl broke out following Florida goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky's save. Florida's Matthew Tkachuk appeared to punch Vegas' Nicolas Hague, who was being held by Eric Staal from behind, in the face. Vegas center Jack Eichel intervened and squared off against Tkachuk followed by the Panthers right winger's ejection.
Watch the video here:
While Florida's Eric Staal and Anthony Duclair scored a goal each for their team before the beginning of the third period, Vegas' Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore kept the score level with their goals. In the final period, Golden Knights' Reilly Smith, Mark Stone, and Zach Whitecloud scored a goal each to put their side on a 1-0 lead in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals.