Vegas Golden Knights fight back to beat Florida in Stanley Cup final opener

• Golden Knights beat Panthers 5-2 in Game 1 of Cup final
• Whitecloud breaks 2-2 deadlock with third-period goal

Zach Whitecloud scored from long range with just over 13 minutes left, after Adin Hill made arguably the best save of the playoffs, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 Saturday night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final.

Whitecloud's goal put Vegas ahead, a crucial penalty kill followed and captain Mark Stone scored an insurance goal that was reviewed for a high stick and confirmed. That combination, plus Hill's 33 saves, gave Vegas the lead in the series after a feisty opener between Sun Belt teams who wasted little time getting acquainted with big hits during play and plenty of post-whistle pushing and shoving.