Golden Knights take Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final thanks to 5 different goal scorers

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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.

Original Knights players Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore also scored on Florida's two-time Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky.

Game 2 is Monday in Las Vegas.

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Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal against the Florida Panthers during the third period in Game One of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 03, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Panthers ratcheted up the physical play late after falling behind by two. A handful of penalties resulting from a fracas with 4:24 remaining left the Florida bench well short.

But the outcome was determined long before that.

After falling behind on a short-handed goal by Eric Staal that sucked the life out of the crowd of 18,432, the Golden Knights rallied for their ninth comeback win this playoffs. Marchessault — known since arriving in Las Vegas when the franchise got its start for scoring big goals —