Golden Knights can taste victory in 'Quest For The Stanley Cup'

The Vegas Golden Knights take a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers as the best-of-7 series shifts to Florida in Episode 6 of "Quest For The Stanley Cup."

After a 5-2 win in Game 1 and a 7-2 triumph in Game 2 at T-Mobile Arena, the Golden Knights have climbed within two victories of their first Stanley Cup. The Panthers, meanwhile, are trying to claw their way back into the series, heading into a critical Game 3 in front of their home crowd at FLA Live Arena.

"Today is our first game at home, so it's going to be loud and I'm really excited to play today," Panthers forward Anton Lundell says. "We didn't play our best game in Game 2, and we all know it, and we're even more ready for Game 3. We want to play better, and we want to show how good as a team we are."

A team has never come back from a 3-0 series deficit in the Final to win the Stanley Cup, so the home team is well aware of the importance of Game 3 and comes out strong, with defenseman Brandon Montour scoring the first goal of the game.

RELATED: [Learn more about 'Quest For The Stanley Cup']

Momentum shifts, though, when Vegas forward Keegan Kolesar lays a big hit on Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk, who is forced to leave the game temporarily and get his collarbone checked according to the training staff.

The Golden Knights go on to tie the game 1-1 on the power play on a tip-in front by captain Mark Stone.

Tkachuk returns for the second period giving the Panthers a boost, and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is outstanding, but penalties catch up to Florida, however. With captain Aleksander Barkov in the penalty box, Vegas takes a 2-1 lead at 14:59 as forward Jonathan Marchessault scores on a one-timer off a pass from center Jack Eichel.

Marchessault and forward Reilly Smith are two of the six remaining original members of the Golden Knights from when they joined the NHL as an expansion team for the 2017-18 season. Each had played for Florida before joining Vegas for its expansion season.

"My biggest thing was, 'I hope I'm going to know people there,' and I'm lucky Reilly was there," Marchessault says. "At first people thought we were going to win maybe 10 games [in expansion season]."

The Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season, losing in five games to the Washington Capitals.

Getting so close proved to be motivation for Smith and Marchessault this season. Marchessault's goal in Game 3 put Vegas in a good spot going into the third period, but it was unable to hold the lead as Tkachuk tied it 2-2 on a rebound in front with 2:13 left in regulation.

After killing a penalty to start overtime, forward Carter Verhaeghe won it for the Panthers with a goal at 4:27.

"You're not done just because you lose one game in overtime," Smith says. "You have to lose four games and that's one thing this group isn't willing to do. Sometimes you get opportunities and they don't end up in the back of the net, and that's just the way hockey goes. Five years ago, it would have hurt us a little bit more. I think we wouldn't be having fun today, we completely forgotten about it and that's just the maturity of this group."

Florida has an opportunity to tie the series in Game 4, but Vegas takes a 1-0 lead 1:39 into the game with center Chandler Stephenson scoring on a breakaway. Stephenson scores again at 7:28 of the second period for a 2-0 lead and center William Karlsson makes it 3-0 at 11:04.

Montour cuts the lead to 3-1 at 16:09, when his shot bounced off Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb and then Shea Theodore and pinballs into the net past goalie Adin Hill. The goal gives Florida life and Barkov scores at 3:50 of the third period to make it 3-2.

The Panthers have chances to tie the game, even though Tkachuk appears to be injured. A delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass to Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo gives Florida a power play with 18 seconds to play, but the Panthers are unable to convert and lose 3-2.

Stephenson is awarded the Elvis wig and sunglasses as the Golden Knights player of the game, and Vegas is one win from capturing the Cup.

"It happens to be someone different every night and I think that's just our depth and it's nice to help contribute," Stephenson says. "It seems like time stands still in those last few minutes. It's always tough in those situations, the other team is pressing, and they have nothing to lose."

Florida has been in this position before. It trailed the Boston Bruins 3-1 in the Eastern Conference First Round and battled back to win the next three games to take the series. It will need a similar effort in the Final.

"It [the first round] seems like a lifetime ago," Panthers coach Paul Maurice says. "Because you have that in your faith, and you've also invested so very much, there is a feeling of earned success, you're earned the right. So I would say this, I believe fully we've earned the right to play our best hockey in difficult situations, and all we want to do is get this thing back here."

Episode 6 of "Quest For The Stanley Cup" premieres at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the United States and YouTube.com/NHL in Canada and abroad. Episodes also will be reaired on ESPN2.