Stanley Cup Final: Panthers stay alive with dramatic Game 3 OT win

Carter Verhaege sealed the deal with a wrist shot from deep that blew by Aidin Hill 4:27 into overtime of Florida's 4-2 victory in Game 3. The best-of-seven game series is now tied 2-1.

'In the two game in Vegas, we were kind of running around," Verhaeghe said after the game.  "we got back to how we play"

Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk notched a goal and an assist in Game 3.  Brandon Montour, the Panthers defensmen, also scored a goal of his own.

Montour scored the first goal 4:08 into the first period.  Then Golden Knights winger Mark stone scored on a power play with 3:57 left in the first.  Vegas' star Forward, and Game 2 hero, Jonathan Marchessault chipped in another Golden Knights powerplay goal with 5:01 left in the second period to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Knights.  it wasn't until 2:13 remained in regulation that the Panthers tied the game on a rebound shot right by the net from Matthew Tkachuk after the Panthers pulled goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in a desperate late game measure.  Tkachuk actually left the game after before that in the second period after a big hit by Vegas forward Keegan Kolesar. He was able to return in the third and deliver the tying goal.  The home crowd went crazy after Tkachuk scored.  After killing off a power play to start overtime, Forward Sam Bennet sent a pass to Verhaeghe as he reached the blue line.  Verhaege immediately got into position, centered the puck, and fired a bullet of a wrist shot into the right side of the net, beating Hill gloveside for the victory.

After the game Tkachuk spoke to reporters and said "All that was on our minds was to get the win, it didn't matter how we were going to be able to do it.  We just knew what the result had to be and we got it.  If makes you feel a lot better, too.  They all counted us out before the final even started.  Being in that position (0-2) probably added to it.  We are that type of team where we know what the end goal is for us.  We don't know how we are going to get there, but we know we are going to do everything we can to give ourselves an opportunity to have that."

The puck drop for game 4 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final is schedule for 8p.m. EDT Saturday at Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida. It will air on TNT. The series goes back to Las Vegas on Tuesday for Game 5.