The Florida Panthers were less than three minutes away from facing a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup finals. Who should be in the crease to tie the game on a rebound but Matthew Tkachuk? Carter Verhaeghe would score in the first overtime period and take the match 3-2.

The team have Friday off but get back on the horse on Saturday for Game 4. The odds have never been tighter. The host Panthers are -118 on the NHL odds’ moneyline to Vegas’s -102.

Golden Knights vs. Panthers NHL Betting Odds

The final minutes of the third period and first few of overtime in Game 3 have greatly changed the complexity of the series table. A -455 favourites status for Vegas prior to the third contest has shrunk to -250 Conversely, Florida’s much more dire +382 has improved to +219. We have a series now.

To their credit, the Golden Knights are no strangers to playoff series that tighten up by the fourth bout. They led both the first and second rounds 2-1 after three games and it didn’t stop them from getting this far. It will be interesting to see how the Golden Knights react to the Game 3 defeat. Their playoff run has seen them either run up the scoreboard or their offence get nullified. They’ve scored four, six, five, and seven goals in their past four wins and only two goals in each of the three most recent defeats.

Florida can essentially tell themselves that they’re in exactly the same spot as they were in the initial round. Down 2-1 to the Boston, they still found a way to claim the series. Although the Golden Knights didn’t have the historic season that the Bruins did, their opponents topped the Western Conference and have looked, at times, like the far better team. Florida has been here before.

Vegas Golden Knights

This is where coaching will be of supreme importance. Yes, players can say it’s time to move on to the next game, but how a coach manages the emotional and psychological hurdles involved with defeats like Game 3 matters.

Bruce Cassidy hopefully had some astute things to say in the locker room Thursday night and during Friday’s practice, because this one stung. To be so close to a commanding 3-0 series lead, to have hit the post with minutes to go to ice the game, only to now find themselves in a proper dog fight. It’s funny. Jonathan Marchessault scored again (13^th), and again on the power play in the second period to hand his side a 2-1 lead. It was getting increasingly obvious that he is just as strong a choice for the Conn Smythe trophy. And then of course Tkachuk had to score late in the third to send the game to OT.

Still, two more power play goals give the team six in this series. Mark Stone (eight) got the other in the first period.

Florida Panthers

This was more like it. A tight, intense game that went down to the wire, which is exactly when the Panthers seem to be in their comfort zone.

Just as we mentioned that Vegas’ reaction come Game 4 will be intriguing, so too will Florida’s. Was the ending to Game 3 the kick in the behind that the team needs to perform the ultimate push for glory, or was it a flash in the pan? To be fair, apart from when they opened the tally in the first period through Brandon Montour (seventh), they didn’t look great on Thursday night. Vegas did a splendid job nullifying most of their attacking attempts. Keep in mind that the game went to overtime and the Panthers finished with only 23 shots. Granted, they made their few chances count, but they didn’t create many. One gets the feeling that they’ll still need to play better. Vegas isn’t going to just lie down and die because of one loss.

Game 4 Prediction: Who Will Win Golden Knights vs. Panthers?

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Golden Knights Team Leaders

VEG

Points

+ / -

Shots

Penalty Mins

Wins

GAA

FLA

Points	Josh Mahura 16
+ / -	Josh Mahura 17
Shots	Josh Mahura 78
Penalty Mins	Josh Mahura 48
Wins	Josh Mahura 0
GAA

VEG

Points
+ / -
Shots	Did not qualify
Penalty Mins
Wins
GAA

FLA

Points	Josh Mahura 3
+ / -	Josh Mahura -6
Shots	Josh Mahura 22
Penalty Mins	Josh Mahura 6
Wins	Josh Mahura 0
GAA

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Panthers Team Leaders

VEG

Points

+ / -

Shots

Penalty Mins

Wins

GAA

FLA

Points	Josh Mahura 16
+ / -	Josh Mahura 17
Shots	Josh Mahura 78
Penalty Mins	Josh Mahura 48
Wins	Josh Mahura 0
GAA

VEG

Points
+ / -
Shots	Did not qualify
Penalty Mins
Wins
GAA

FLA

Points	Josh Mahura 3
+ / -	Josh Mahura -6
Shots	Josh Mahura 22
Penalty Mins	Josh Mahura 6
Wins	Josh Mahura 0
GAA

Injuries

Vegas

Brett Howden (C)

day-to-day Personal - 13 / 04 / 23

Jack Eichel (C)

Prob Thurs Lower Body - 08 / 04 / 23

Zach Whitecloud (D)

day-to-day Lower Body - 08 / 04 / 23

Shea Theodore (D)

Prob Thurs Undisclosed - 29 / 03 / 23

Alec Martinez (D)

Prob Tues Personal - 24 / 03 / 23

Reilly Smith (RW)

Ques Tues Lower Body - 24 / 03 / 23

Keegan Kolesar (RW)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 12 / 03 / 23

Adin Hill (G)

Late April Lower Body - 08 / 03 / 23

William Carrier (LW)

Out indefinitely Lower Body - 04 / 03 / 23

Laurent Brossoit (G)

Early April Lower Body - 27 / 02 / 23

Florida

Josh Mahura (D)

day-to-day Face - 04 / 05 / 23

Sergei Bobrovsky (G)

Prob Sat Illness - 29 / 03 / 23

Anthony Duclair (LW)

Ques Thurs Illness - 21 / 03 / 23

Sam Bennett (C)

Ques Mon Groin - 20 / 03 / 23

Anthony Duclair (LW)

Ques Sat Illness - 09 / 03 / 23

Spencer Knight (G)

Out indefinitely Personal - 24 / 02 / 23

Givani Smith (RW)

Prob Tues Face - 23 / 02 / 23

Sam Bennett (C)

Out indefinitely Lower Body - 15 / 02 / 23

Spencer Knight (G)

Prob Mon Upper Body - 28 / 01 / 23

Gustav Forsling (D)

day-to-day Knee - 27 / 01 / 23

Injuries

Vegas

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Brett Howden (C)	day-to-day	Personal - 13 / 04 / 23	17-6	12-11	+ -
Howden is tending to a personal matter, and it has yet to be determined if he will line up for Game 1 of the Western Conference first round.
Jack Eichel (C)	Prob Thurs	Lower Body - 08 / 04 / 23	19-7	14-12	+ -
Eichel has been absent from the previous two contests with a lower-body injury, but it is likely that he will lace up against the Kraken on Thursday.
Zach Whitecloud (D)	day-to-day	Lower Body - 08 / 04 / 23	19-7	14-12	+ -
Whitecloud is battling a lower-body injury, leaving his status for Game 1 of the Western Conference first round in question.
Shea Theodore (D)	Prob Thurs	Undisclosed - 29 / 03 / 23	22-9	16-14-1	+ -
Theodore has been out of action due to an unknown issue, but it is anticipated that he will return against the Kraken on Thursday.
Alec Martinez (D)	Prob Tues	Personal - 24 / 03 / 23	23-10	17-15-1	+ -
Martinez was absent from the last match while dealing with a personal matter, but it is not expected to impact his status versus the Oilers on Tuesday.
Reilly Smith (RW)	Ques Tues	Lower Body - 24 / 03 / 23	23-10	17-15-1	+ -
Smith sat out the last contest with a lower-body injury, and it remains to be seen if he will lace up against the Oilers on Tuesday.
Keegan Kolesar (RW)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 12 / 03 / 23	27-11	21-16-1	+ -
Kolesar is out of commission with an upper-body ailment, and it is unclear how long he will be debilitated.
Adin Hill (G)	Late April	Lower Body - 08 / 03 / 23	29-11	22-17-1	+ -
Hill is out of the lineup with a lower-body injury, and he is not expected to return until the end of April.
William Carrier (LW)	Out indefinitely	Lower Body - 04 / 03 / 23	31-12	24-18-1	+ -
Carrier is out of action with a lower-body injury, and he is without a definitive timetable for recovery.
Laurent Brossoit (G)	Early April	Lower Body - 27 / 02 / 23	31-14	24-20-1	+ -
Brossoit has been designated to the injured reserve list with a lower-body injury, and he is not projected to be available until at least the early part of April.

Florida

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Josh Mahura (D)	day-to-day	Face - 04 / 05 / 23	7-6	3-10	+ -
Mahura exited Thursday's match with a facial injury, and it is unknown whether he will return to the ice.
Sergei Bobrovsky (G)	Prob Sat	Illness - 29 / 03 / 23	16-13	10-16-3	+ -
Bobrovsky has been out of commission with an illness, but he is expected to return to the ice against the Capitals on Saturday.
Anthony Duclair (LW)	Ques Thurs	Illness - 21 / 03 / 23	17-16	13-16-4	+ -
Duclair sat out the last game with an illness, and it remains to be seen if he will face the Maple Leafs on Thursday.
Sam Bennett (C)	Ques Mon	Groin - 20 / 03 / 23	18-16	13-17-4	+ -
Bennett has been absent from the last three games with an undefined issue, and it is unknown whether he will lace up against the Senators on Monday.
Anthony Duclair (LW)	Ques Sat	Illness - 09 / 03 / 23	19-19	16-18-4	+ -
Duclair missed the previous contest with an illness, and it has not been confirmed if he will lace up against the Jets on Saturday.
Spencer Knight (G)	Out indefinitely	Personal - 24 / 02 / 23	21-22	16-22-5	+ -
Knight has been entered in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Givani Smith (RW)	Prob Tues	Face - 23 / 02 / 23	21-22	16-22-5	+ -
Smith has been activated from the long-term injured reserve list after recovering from a facial contusion, and he is expected to return to the ice for Tuesday's contest versus the Flyers.
Sam Bennett (C)	Out indefinitely	Lower Body - 15 / 02 / 23	23-24	19-23-5	+ -
Bennett is out of the lineup with a lower-body injury, and team officials have yet to provide an exact return date.
Spencer Knight (G)	Prob Mon	Upper Body - 28 / 01 / 23	26-26	23-24-5	+ -
Knight missed the previous contest with an upper-body injury, but he is predicted to be active against the Lightning on Monday.
Gustav Forsling (D)	day-to-day	Knee - 27 / 01 / 23	27-26	24-24-5	+ -
Forsling exited Friday's match with a knee injury, and it is unknown if he will return to the game.