by Aleena Khan
After a very long and stressful NHL playoff season, the Stanley Cup Final has arrived. The Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers begin the final round of the playoffs this Saturday night in Las Vegas. With a clean sweep, the Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern conference finals to advance to the Cup final. Meanwhile, Vegas had a 3-0 lead in the beginning of the Western conference finals before the Dallas Stars cut the series lead to 3-2.. However, this did not last long as the Golden Knights beat the Stars 6-0 in game 6 to win the series and advance.
Throughout the regular season, the Panthers were not expected to be in the playoffs. The Panthers fought for their playoff spot, and it is very shocking that they’ve made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Panthers barely escaped the first round of the playoffs after beating the heavily favored Boston Bruins. The Panthers advanced to the next round to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Panthers took a 3-0 series lead against Toronto and ultimately won the series 4-1. After that, there was no surprise the Panthers would play well as the third round came along. The Panthers swept the Carolina Hurricanes to continue their unbelievable playoff run.
As for the Golden Knights, they were the team that many thought would advance deep into the playoffs. Being the number one seed in the Western conference, many fans had high hopes for Las Vegas and they’ve delivered. Vegas began the playoffs with a 4-1 series win over the Winnipeg Jets. In the second round, the Oilers and Golden Knights battled and the series was tied after four games. Ultimately, the Knights began playing harder and prevailed with a 4-2 series victory. The Dallas Stars were next up for Vegas. Vegas led the series 3-0; however, the Stars soon made a comeback winning the next two games. Vegas won Game 6, though, and advanced to the Cup Final.
Neither the Golden Knights nor the Panthers have ever won the Stanley Cup. The two franchises are battling for a chance to make history. Best of luck to both teams, and may the best team win!