Vegas Golden Knights Advance to 2023 Stanley Cup Finals

The NHL will crown a first-time champion this postseason because neither the Florida Panthers nor the Vegas Golden Knights have ever won a championship.

The Golden Knights are the betting favorite to win the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals at -130 odds, according to DraftKings. Few bettors expected the Florida Panthers to upset the Boston Bruins in the opening round, let alone win the Eastern Conference. The Panthers are +110 odds to win the Stanley Cup.

The Panthers will make their second trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. They advanced to the Cup Finals in 1996 but were denied their first title when swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

The Golden Knights made their first and only appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in their debut season in 2018. They were and superstar Alexander Ovechkin.

The first trip was just kind of overwhelming, said Karlsson, who was a member of the 2018 squad. You ve never been there before. Maybe you took it for granted a little bit back then. You realize that this opportunity doesn t come around too often.

The Golden Knights posted a 51-22-9 record during the 2022-23 season, winning the Pacific Division for the third time in their six seasons of existence.

They defeated the Winnipeg Jets in five games in the opening round of the playoffs. They lost Game 1, but won four games in a row to advance to the conference semifinal. The Golden Knights needed six games in the second round to defeat the Edmonton Oilers.

In the Western Conference finals, the Stars and Golden Knights battled in three overtime games, including back-to-back overtime sessions in the first two games of the series at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Stanley Cup Finals begin on Saturday in Las Vegas with Game 1.