Tempers flare after horn as Vegas Golden Knights take 3-1 lead in Stanley Cup Finals
With just seconds remaining in the third period of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Vegas Golden Knights took a delay of game penalty. Florida had already pulled its goalie, giving them a 6-on-4 advantage down a goal to avoid going down 3-1 in the series.
What unfolded next turned out to be pure chaos.
First, with the game itself, Florida had multiple opportunities to find a game-tying goal. One in particular from Matthew Tkachuk as Vegas goalie Adin Hill made an incredible save. Tkachuk has been clutch all postseason and even with a seemingly wide-open net, the puck someone found Hill’s left leg pad.
But then everything kicked off once the horn sounded. Multiple players got into fights, wrestling each other to the ground. Tkachuk was heated as well, exchanging some words with Golden Knight players up close and personal. Even the stick was being used to get a few jabs in.
At the same time, hometown Panthers fans were throwing debris onto the ice, showing their displeasure with the result. An absolutely wild way to finish what was an entertaining Game 4 in Florida.
You can watch the chaotic ending plus some post-horn fireworks below.
Since the final horn had sounded, the referees were not able to dish out any penalties. And on initial viewing, there do not seem to be any suspendable offenses. So, it’s just another fight we have in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially when emotions and series are on the line.
As the Stanley Cup itself pointed out…
It will be in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. For the first time in Vegas Golden Knights history, they are one game away from winning the Stanley Cup. For an expansion franchise that is less than a decade old, winning a championship would be a truly remarkable accomplishment.
Florida will not be an easy team to put away, though. They have been down 3-1 in a series already this postseason and to the regular season’s best team. The Boston Bruins had a firm grip on the opening-round matchup before losing three in a row.
Closing out a Stanley Cup can be one of the more difficult tasks in all of sports. Even for a team playing at home, the pressure can be enormous at times. The Golden Knights are almost across the finish line and will have a massive opportunity in Vegas on Tuesday night.