2023 Stanley Cup Final - What we learned in Game 3 - ESPN

So we've got a series after all.

A change of scenery and return home helped the Florida Panthers recapture their mojo as the No. 8 seed in the East got on the board with a 3-2 overtime win to pull within 2-1 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Florida's Matthew Tkachuk scored with 2:13 remaining in regulation to force overtime, then Carter Verhaeghe struck at 4:27 of the extra period to win it.

What did we learn in Game 3? What can the Panthers take forward to tighten things even further and how can the Golden Knights strengthen their position?

ESPN reporters Kristen Shilton, Ryan S. Clark, Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan check in with their takeaways from Game 3:

Help from the back end

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Brandon Montour goes top shelf to the give the Panthers an early lead

Brandon Montour zips it top shelf for the score as the Panthers take an early 1-0 lead against the Golden Knights.

Florida absolutely needed its defense to start contributing offensively. Brandon Montour got that ball rolling with a quick strike in Game 3. Vegas had three goals from its blueliners going into the night while the Panthers had zero (and, well, the whole team had only four tallies total). Montour delivered five goals in Florida's come-from-behind first-round series win over Boston, but hadn't lit the lamp since Game 1 of the second round against Toronto.