Golden Knights, Panthers both in search of first NHL championship
The 2023 Stanley Cup Finals are officially set and the Vegas Golden Knights are -150 favorites over the Florida Panthers to take down hockey’s ultimate prize. It looked like we might have sweeps in both conference finals series after the Panthers eliminated the Carolina Hurricanes in four games, but it took the Golden Knights six games to dispose of the Dallas Stars after jumping out to a 3-0 series lead.
The Golden Knights were an expansion franchise in 2017, but this will already be their second Stanley Cup Finals appearance. The Panthers were an expansion team in 1993 and made the finals in 1996, but haven’t been back since and have never won the Stanley Cup.
Stanley Cup Finals odds
(Odds from DraftKings as of May 29, 8 p.m. PT)
Florida Panthers +110
Vegas Golden Knights -130
Game 1
Florida Panthers +115
Vegas Golden Knights -135
Total: 5.5 (-120/100)
NHL Betting Odds | NHL Betting Splits
Stanley Cup Finals schedule
Game 1: Saturday June 3 – Panthers at Golden Knights
Game 2: Monday June 5 – Panthers at Golden Knights
Game 3: Thursday June 8 – Golden Knights at Panthers
Game 4: Saturday June 10 – Golden Knights at Panthers
Game 5: Tuesday June 13 – Panthers at Golden Knights*
Game 6: Friday June 16 – Golden Knights at Panthers*
Game 7: Monday June 19 – Panthers at Golden Knights*
(* – if necessary)
Florida Panthers next game
The Panthers will play their next game on June 3, but it will have been an extended layoff for the Panthers, who wrapped up their series with the Hurricanes on Wednesday May 24. The Panthers made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and beat the Boston Bruins in seven games in one of the biggest upsets in NHL history, given that the Bruins set an all-time record with 135 points and 65 wins.
The Panthers then beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in five games before sweeping the Hurricanes with four straight one-goal wins. Nine of Florida’s last 11 wins have been by one goal this postseason.
Vegas Golden Knights games
The Golden Knights beat the Winnipeg Jets in five games to open the playoffs and followed that up with a series victory in six games over Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. It took six games to eliminate the Stars, setting up our Stanley Cup Finals matchup. It will still be an extended layoff for Vegas before the series against the Panthers begins, but not nearly as long.
VSiN Hockey Betting Podcast
Tune in to the VSiN Hockey Betting Podcast with host Danny Burke and lead NHL analyst Andy MacNeil, including a special edition of our VSiN Best Bets show at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Thursday with a preview of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Also, look for Andy’s series preview and best bets, along with his breakdowns on game days.
