Zach Whitecloud scored from long range with just over 13 minutes left as the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Whitecloud's goal put Vegas ahead, a crucial penalty kill followed and captain Mark Stone scored an insurance goal that was reviewed for a high stick and confirmed.

That combination, plus Adin Hill's 33 saves, gave Vegas the lead in the series after a feisty opener between Sun Belt teams who wasted little time getting acquainted with big hits during play and plenty of post-whistle pushing and shoving.

Original Knights players Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore also scored on Florida's two-time Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky.

The Panthers ratcheted up the physical play late after falling behind by two.

A handful of penalties resulting from a fracas with 4:24 remaining left the Florida bench well short.

But the outcome was determined long before that.

After falling behind on a short-handed goal by Eric Staal that sucked the life out of the crowd of 18,432, the Golden Knights rallied for their ninth comeback win this playoffs.

"We were ready," Marchessault said.

"We kept our composure, and it was good," said Marchessault, one of six original Knights players left from the start of the franchise in 2017 who scored the tying goal in the first period.

"We just wanted to play the right way and be disciplined, and tonight we were able to be the better team."

Florida coach Paul Maurice, back in the final for the first time since 2001, displayed a similarly calm demeanour as he did all the way back in the first round, when his team fell behind 1-0 then 3-1 to NHL-best Boston before winning in seven.

"It's going to be tight," Maurice said. "Everybody breathe."