Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk is tossed after sucker-punching Golden Knights’ Nicolas Hague

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Series was disrupted by a scuffle in the final third that threw Florida Panthers forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett.

The Vegas Golden Knights took a 1-0 lead over the Florida Panthers in their quest for the Stanley Cup on Saturday night.

The Panthers had taken a lead through Eric Staal, but when theirs slipped away during the Golden Knights’ comeback in the third inning, tensions began to rise.

Tkachuk and Bennett were both thrown out with 4:24 left in the match after throwing punches at Golden Knights defender Nicolas Hague during a scrum.

Tkachuk punched a helmetless Haag in the face as ex-ranger Marc Staal restrained the Vegas star with an arm around his neck.

Linesman Jonny Murray stepped in to break up the fight in the final third of Game 1

The hit then caused Golden Knights center Jack Eichel to go after Tkachuk to defend his teammate.

An official intervened and tried to end the fight, with Hague managing to break free.

But just as things seemed to be cooling down, Bennett came after the freed Haag and smacked him in the face with a left-handed punch.

Their actions got both Bennet and Tkachuk thrown out, leaving the Florida bench way short.

But the outcome was determined long before that.

After falling behind with an Eric Staal goal that sucked the life out of the crowd of 18,432, the Golden Knights rallied for their ninth comeback win in these playoffs. Marchessault—known since his arrival in Las Vegas when the franchise began scoring big goals—answered before the end of the first period, and Theodore scored his first since March 7 in the second.

In between, Hill made a desperate save to rob Nick Cousins ​​of what would have been a sure goal. The save was reminiscent of Washington’s Braden Holtby against Vegas – in the same fold – five years ago.

Giving up a tie to Anthony Duclair with 10.2 seconds left in the second didn’t slow the Golden Knights’ momentum much. Zach Whitecloud’s goal, with Bobrovsky screened and unable to see, once again set fans on fire.

Bennett (R) came up behind the freed Haag and hit him in the face with a left-handed punch

The Vegas Golden Knights took a 1-0 lead over the Florida Panthers on Saturday

Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill may have made the playoff save

Captain Mark Stone scored an insurance goal late in the 5-2 victory for Vegas in Sin City

The Golden Knights are in the Finals for the second time in six years of their existence, five years after their first season. Vegas won the opener in 2018 and lost the series to Washington in five games. Six players remain from that original team.

The Panthers play for the cup again for the first time since 1996. Florida was swept by Colorado in that final 27 years ago, 18 months before Tkachuk, the team’s leading scorer this playoffs, was born.

It is the 66th different matchup of teams in the Cup Finals in NHL history and the 46th since the expansion era began in 1967-68. This marks the first time since Washington-Vegas and only the third time since the turn of the century in which the final features two teams that have never won the league’s championship.

The Golden Knights will look to extend their series lead into Game 2 in Sin City on Monday.