Las vigas. Last night was vibrant on the Las Vegas Strip.
For the Golden Knights, they won their first and sometimes great Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers.
– It was it, it could have gone either way, but of course it’s very nice to have this start, says William Carlson when we meet him at T-Mobile Arena after winning 5-2.
And so the climax of the hockey season began in the hot Nevada desert last night. Contrary to what some seemed to expect, the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers shot to their first ever Stanley Cup Final.
They didn’t “feel” each other even during the first exchanges, it was such nonstop action from start to finish and so many opportunities, both ways, that it was hard to keep the count.
– Yes, it was completely open, full speed from the start and opportunities in both directions. A little stronger than tonight, I think we can play,” says a freshly showered William Carlson when we meet him in the vicinity of T-Mobile Arena after the final whistle.
I stood and weighed
For a long time it also felt like the game was in the balance, but seven minutes into the third period defender Zack Whitecloud beat Sergei Bobrovskij to make it 3-2 – again excellent, but the flow with the rebounds was lacking – and seven minutes later Mark Stone decided Absolutely finish artwork. Lower the puck onto the volleyball, in the air, in front of the box and scatter it over the crossbar.
– He’s good at it, Stone. Not many pucks skip it. It was really elegant, Wild Bill continues.
Another decisive effort by goalkeeper Aden Hill early in the second half. Nick Cousins had scored an open goal after a great display, but Vegas hitter somehow got the tip of the club and blocked the set goal.
– Yeah, oops… they would have taken the lead if they scored there, so it was a really big and important save, Carlson notes.
Who is unhappy with his performance – “Not much happened tonight” – but more than happy that the team went 1-0 up in the final.
– It was like, it could have gone either way, but of course it’s very nice to have that start.
“better when he does it”
That it got too noisy at times, that the escape Matthew Tkachuk constantly caused trouble and during a serious struggle at the end he was sacked for 14 minutes, jockey Marsta shuddered.
– That’s his style of play, he’s at his best when he does it, he says.
The next round of the Finals is on Tuesday night — and until then, the T-Mobile Arena, set tonight in a state of boundless euphoria, is the scene.