The Vegas Golden Knights are doing their best to keep cool leading up to Tuesday night's Game 5 but know it'll be easier said than done with an opportunity to win the Stanley Cup on home ice looming.
"Everybody knows what's going to be there," forward Chandler Stephenson said, per The Athletic's Jesse Granger.
"It's different. It's a different game than the other ones. There's a lot more emotion, a lot more everything."
Vegas took a 3-1 series lead over the Florida Panthers with a narrow victory Saturday. With two full days between games, the Golden Knights are embracing the opportunity to win the organization's first championship instead of letting nerves distract them.
"You can't not (think about it)," Adin Hill said. "It's the ultimate goal in hockey, so there's no way you can shut that off in your mind. You're thinking about that. At the same time, it's about staying in the moment, focusing on the next play or the next shift."
Added head coach Bruce Cassidy: "They understand what's at stake.
"They understand (Sunday) is a day off to clear your mind. If that means discussing certain things with family members, about the Stanley Cup, or whatever you want to talk about, then that's OK. That's what we're playing for. I don't think there's any taboos with that. You just can't bring that to the rink on Monday at practice or Tuesday when it's time to play."
Only one team in NHL history has erased a 3-1 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs. However, the Panthers can rely on recent experience to pull off a miraculous comeback after digging themselves out of the same hole in Round 1 against the league-leading Boston Bruins.
The Golden Knights capitalized on both series-clinching opportunities in Rounds 1 and 2 but took three tries to eliminate the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final after jumping out to a 3-0 lead.
