Saturday's forecast for Las Vegas calls for a high of 97, but it's going to be a perfect 20 degrees at ice level for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. If you're thinking about wagering on this unexpected matchup, then stay tuned for a list of the best Stanley Cup Final betting promos & bonuses that promise to be as hot as the weather in Vegas and Sunrise, Fla.
While the Golden Knights lived up to their billing as the Western Conference's No. 1 seed to make their second Stanley Cup Final appearance in their six-season history, the Panthers shocked the Eastern Conference's cognoscenti in series after series to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996.
The Panthers didn't clinch their playoff spot until three days before the regular season ended and entered as the second and final wild-card team in the Eastern Conference. They started their spree by rallying from a 3-1 deficit to dispose of the Boston Bruins – who merely rewrote the record book for greatest regular season in NHL history. From there, the Panthers needed 5 games to crush the Maple Leafs' dreams and just 4 games to Carolina home.
The Panthers have been riding an all-time heater from goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who wasn't even in net when the playoffs began in favor of career backup Alex Lyon. But since Bobrovsky took over for good for Game 5 against the Bruins on April 26, he has won 11 out of 12 starts while racking up a .942 save percentage and a 1.95 goals-against average.