Stanley Cup Notebook: Zach Whitecloud One Win Away From Title

By Miles Morrisseau. ICT

After having one of his worst games of the playoffs, Zach Whitecloud had a big bounce back game for the Vegas Golden Knights helping his team secure a 3-2 win Saturday over the Florida Panthers and a stranglehold on the Stanley Cup series finale.

The 26-year-old member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation reflected on the loss on the blog he is posting with NHL.Com.

"When you lose a game like that it wears on your mind a little bit, but for me, personally, I try to leave everything at the rink as best as possible (but that's) easier said than done" Whitecloud posted.

Whitecloud got things started with a beautiful set up little more than 90 seconds into Game 4. Whitecloud turned with the puck near the red line, caught the Florida Panthers making a change and hit Chandler Stephenson with a smart pass that sent him in all alone. The right winger beat Panthers goalie, Sergie Bobrovosky for the first goal of the game and quickly silenced the raucous Florida crowd.

Whitecloud's solid night for Vegas and was a key part of the victory. In addition to setting up the first goal he was also on the ice for all Vegas' goals and finished plus 3 on the night along with four blocked shots.

The Knights took a 3-0 lead but the Cats would not go away. Led once again by Brandon Montour, Mohawk, who continues his record setting season for the Panthers, put Florida on the scoreboard at 16:09 of the second period. In his first playoff run with Florida, Montour now holds the franchise records for most points (15) and most goals (8) in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He also has the franchise records for most goals and points by a defenseman in a season this year. He once again led all players in ice time on Saturday.

The new dad from Six Nations of the Grand River had plenty of puck luck with this goal – a double bank shot off two Knight players before finding the net. He then set up the second goal at 3:50 in the third with the kind of speedy offensive move that makes him so dangerous. He dashed into the corner and fed a no-look backhand pass to captain Andre Barkov who beat Adin Hill on the glove side. He also picked up a 10-minute misconduct along with teammate Matthew Tkachuk due to some end of game shenanigans. In the post game interview he showed the Panthers defiance that has characterized this underdog team. "We're fighting back. In that third period we're a desperate team and we're dangerous," Montour said, "We just got to keep pushing, you know. We got it in this group."

It was a wild ending with the Panthers goalie out for the extra attacker and top Vegas defender Alex Pietrangelo in the penalty box, Whitecloud broke his stick. "The last 17 seconds felt like time was flying by a million miles an hour, and obviously, no matter how much you tell yourself to stay calm it's tough. When a stick breaks you try not to panic," he posted on the blog. "So, 6-on-4, with that amount of time left, they are trying to funnel pucks to the net and kind of create battles. So, you just try to get up under sticks and keep the puck away from the net, and if it does, you get there, you bear down and you either try to eat it, clear it or just do anything you can to keep it out of the net."

The series could wrap up Game 6, but remember these Cats have nine lives and were down 3 games to 1 in the opening round against the favorite Boston Bruins.

Brandon Montour – Mohawk Scores First:Panthers Claw Back

Brandon Montour, Mohawk, was in the starting lineup for the Florida Panthers and received an enthusiastic cheer from the Florida hometown crowd. It may have been cheers for being a new dad in addition to his work on the ice. He earned that support from the faithful scoring his first goal since round one in a 3-2 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Cardiac Cats have clawed back into a series once again after being counted out. Vegas leads the series 2 games to 1.

Montour, a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River, flew home to south Florida from Las Vegas between game 1 and game 2 so that he could be with his wife Ryian for the birth of their first child who they named Kai. The unscheduled trip across the country didn't have too much impact as Montour went on to skate more than anyone else in Game 2.

"We were excited to come home, we knew the building would be rocking," said Montour in a post-game interview after the home win. "Obviously, there are some things to clean up. Penalties? It is what it is. Be nice to get a couple power play goals like them. But five on five, we are playing the right way, limiting their chances. Bobby (Sergei Bobrovsky) made some big saves when he needed to and big goals for us."

Montour opened the scoring with one of his patented seeing-eye shots that found its way through a mass of players and into the net. He circled in off his point and flicked a shot towards the net that beat Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill. That was his seventh of the NHL playoffs and extends his lead in scoring among defensemen.

Asked how he felt scoring his first goal in the Stanley Cup Finals, the 29-year-old beamed that smile that is getting as well known in the league as his stamina and offensive skill. "Crazy, I guess. I feel like the last little bit I haven't put it in the net but I'm creating chances and making plays," he said. "It just wasn't getting in. So it's nice to get that one and see that one go in. That's for my baby boy."

Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk took a hard hit early in the game and was sent to the dressing room with what looked like a shoulder injury. He was back before the end of the game and affirmed his role as a big-time performer in these playoffs scoring the tying goal with just over two minutes on the clock and the net empty. Carter Verhaeghe who has scored some big ones these playoffs as well beat Hill in the overtime frame sending the hometown crowd into a frenzy.

It was a tough night for Zach Whitecloud, Sioux Valley Dakota, and his defensive partner Nicolas Hague of the Golden Knights who were on the ice for all Panthers goals and both finished the night at -3.

Zach Whitecloud sets up Game 2 winner

There is nothing like the Stanley Cup playoffs. No other team sport comes close to the speed of the game and the only team game close in violence is football, so imagine if the Super Bowl winner had to win 16 games.

It is said that the Stanley Cup is the hardest championship to win in professional sports. Game 2 on Monday was proof. Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev met Florida Panthers tough guy Radko Gudas who was looking for a hit and in turn knocked Gudas out of the game in the first period. The Cats leading instigator and big time scorer Matthew Tkachuk caught Vegas star forward Jack Eichel coming across his own blueline with his head down and laid him out. Eichel went to the room for some repairs, but he was back on the bench to finish the game.

The Knights jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead with Zach Whitecloud, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, assisting on the third goal, which turned out to be the winner. At 2:59 of the second period, Whitecloud sent the puck to William Carrier who fed Nicolas Roy who beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a wrist shot. The goal would stand as the winner as the Golden Knights skated to victory, 7-2.

With the loss of Gudas in the first period, the Panthers were down a defenseman, and even more time was put upon the shoulders of Brandon Montour, Mohawk, who has led both teams all series in ice-time. He finished the game with 26:13, nearly 5 minutes more than the next closest player. He also led all players with five shots on net

The series will now head to south Florida where the Panthers hope some home cooking can turn this series around.

Zach Whitecloud, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, scored the winning goal in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Vegas Golden Knights came back in the third period to defeat the scrappy Florida Panthers who have had great success on the road this playoff season.

Whitecloud scored at 6:59 of the third period with a wrist shot from the blueline that beat Sergei Bobrovsky and gave the Knights a lead they would not relinquish. The final score was 5-2 with Mark Stone scoring an insurance goal late and Reilly Smith salting the game away with an empty-netter.

Whitecloud had one goal on two shots as well as four blocked shots in 18:05 of ice-time. His plus 12 is second only to Vegas scoring leader Jonathon Marchessault.

"It's a childhood dream," Whitecloud said in a post-game interview with Sportsnet, "We are playing for one another, for all the Vegas fans, everyone that supports us all over the world. It's that fun time of the year, right, especially when you have a close team like us, a team that competes and outwills teams. It's fun to play with all these guys and it's even more fun to win."

Brandon Montour, Mohawk, finished the game with a plus 1, three shots on net and two blocked shots, and once again, he led all players with 25:59 of ice-time. He continues to lead the defenseman in scoring these playoffs although he hasn't potted one since round one. He beat Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill with seconds left in the second period but the puck hit the post and came back out.

Stanley Cup Finals

Game 6*: Friday, June 16, Golden Knights @Panthers, 8 p.m. EDT

Game 7*: Monday, June 19, Golden Knights @Panthers, 8 p.m. EDT

*If necessary

Editor's note: This story will be updated as the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup championship series advances. Check back for more details.