The Knights will look to close out an impressive championship run on home ice Tuesday. Their superior depth to the Panthers has been on display in the series. That strength should allow the Golden Knights to minimize Florida's offensive opportunities tonight.
Check out my same-game parlay for Panthers vs. Golden Knights Game 5 below.
Same Game Parlay: Golden Knights vs. Panthers Game 5
The Parlay (+350 bet365):
- Adin Hill Under 29.5 Saves and Panthers Under 3.5 Goals
- Chandler Stephenson Over 1.5 Shots on Goal
Adin Hill Under 29.5 Saves and Panthers Under 3.5 Goals:
At this point, Vegas is clearly the deeper team, and that has been on display as the Golden Knights earned their 3-1 lead.
We knew entering the series that the Knights possessed a significantly better fourth line, as well as a stronger third defensive pairing than the Panthers. On top of that, Vegas' top talents have been outperforming the Panthers' top gunners, particularly with Matthew Tkachuk playing injured.
With the Stanley Cup in the building, we can count on the Knights bringing an urgent defensive effort and giving Adin Hill every chance to thrive. Their play leading up to this point suggests as much. Tonight should set up as somewhat of a cagier, lockdown affair that will likely see the ridiculous amount of penalties finally regress.
Outside of a more open Game 1 matchup, Vegas has looked sharp in terms of chance suppression. Hill has averaged just 27.99 saves in this series — facing only 23 shots in Game 3 and 29 in Game 4.
Vegas has played the majority of the series with the lead, making this a game script that fits best tonight.
Tkachuk is clearly ailing badly, which has made his line significantly less threatening. Eetu Luostarinen's injury has also left a negative impact on what had been a strong third line for the Panthers.
But 28.5 saves is a line that gives a lot of respect to the Panthers' play prior to this series, and prior to their injuries. It's unlikely Hill is forced to do more than that tonight. Florida has not scored four goals in this entire series — I do not see that changing on the road Tuesday.
Chandler Stephenson Over 1.5 Shots on Goal:
Centering Vegas' dominant "third" line, Chandler Stephenson has peppered Florida's goal with 12 shots in this series. He broke through with two goals last time out, and I expect him to continue firing on a third line that is getting favorable matchups.
Even with a ton of time in this series being spent away from even strength, Stephenson has managed 4.5 shot attempts per game. As series go deeper, power play opportunities tend to be harder to come by. It is unlikely the officiating standard set in games 1-4 holds up tonight, which would also benefit Stephenson.
