Knights show ‘killer instinct,’ eye first Stanley Cup
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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Vegas Golden Knights are one win away from the first Stanley Cup victory in franchise history.
Vegas topped the Florida Panthers 3-2 in Game 4 on Saturday, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Golden Knights have the first of what could be three opportunities to close out the Panthers on Tuesday in Game 5 at home.
“It’s one win away from a lot of dreams, for a lot of guys,” forward Chandler Stephenson, who scored twice for Vegas, said after the win. “It’s different. It’ll be a different game than the other ones. It’s a lot more emotion, a lot more everything. Everyone knows what’s going to be there. [We’ll] just try to play. Lot of emotion. Being at home too, everyone is going to be into it. Emotions will be high, adrenaline [pumping]. All the cliches. Everyone is going to be ready.”
There was, of course, drama along the way to victory Saturday. Vegas held a 3-0 lead over Florida late into the second period, only to have the Panthers claw their way back to within a goal with more than 15 minutes to play.
Then, forward Matthew Tkachuk — who in Game 3 scored a third-period equalizer for Florida in its 3-2 overtime win — was achingly close to doing the same thing in Game 4 if not for a sensational left pad save by Vegas netminder Adin Hill in the final seconds.
That play caused some commotion when frustrations boiled over at the final buzzer and helmets — alongside fists — went flying. The spirited finish was an example of “two teams trying to win,” Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said.
“We didn’t want to lose,” Stephenson said. “We wanted to push as best we could, try to take their fans out of it. Just tried to have a killer instinct.”
The Golden Knights proved they had that in the first period. Vegas controlled the pace early and was rewarded when Stephenson beat Sergei Bobrovsky five-hole on a breakaway, aided by Florida’s ill-timed line change. It was less than two minutes into the game.
That was the Golden Knights’ first five-on-five goal since the third period of Game 2. Vegas’ lone goals in the Game 3 loss came on the power play.
But a vintage Vegas bounce-back effort ensured that Game 4 would be a different story. The Golden Knights are now 5-1 following a loss this postseason.
Stephenson’s second goal came in the second period, a long-range shot for his 10th postseason score. William Karlsson followed shortly after with his first goal of the Final to make it 3-0 before Brandon Montour broke through with his second goal in as many games to cut the Golden Knights’ lead to 3-1.
Florida pounced again in the third with a strike from Aleksander Barkov — his first point of the Final — to bring the Panthers within a goal. That was as close as Florida would come, although the Panthers pressured Hill — who finished with 29 saves — until the end.
Defensively, Vegas threw the kitchen sink at Florida — and wound up with 30 shot blocks on the night — while protecting the slim margin, preventing the Panthers from a repeat of Game 3’s finish.
“We had a couple huge shot blocks, guys just sold out,” Stone said. “We got a big save from Hill at the end. We did a great job of making sure we held the line pretty well, got clears and held [them] to the outside.”
Florida, also looking for its first Stanley Cup, who will try to hold Vegas off from making history on home ice Tuesday. Stakes couldn’t be higher, and the Golden Knights, who lost the Final on home ice in 2018, are relishing the potentially life-changing moments to come.
“You can’t not [think about] the next game,” Hill said. “[Winning a Cup] is the ultimate goal in hockey. So, there’s no way you can shut that off in your mind. You’re thinking about that but at the same time it’s just staying in the moment and focusing on the next play, the next shift.”
For Stone, the key to a Vegas victory will be simply staying the course with what brought the team to this pinnacle in the first place. He wasn’t with the Golden Knights when they reached the Final in their debut season, and hopes the team now won’t move away from its identity in attempting to complete the final task.
“I don’t think I’m going to change much,” Stone said. “We’ve gotten here with a lot of guys buying in and leading the way. We got plenty of guys who have been in this position before with the chance to close out a series.
“I don’t think any of us really want to change anything. We understand the magnitude of the process but we’re going to go home and … play our brand of hockey.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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