Former Philadelphia Flyers head coach Fred Shero wrote a message on the chalkboard in the Flyers locker room prior to Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Final. Shero was known for his sayings, but this one has stood the test of time.
The now-famous message inspired his club to clinch the first Stanley Cup in franchise history just seven seasons after being born into the league in the 1967 NHL Expansion.
That message holds true for the Vegas Golden Knights ahead of tonight’s Game 5 contest:
“Win today, and we walk together forever.”
It’s the kind of message that sends chills up and down one’s spine, and it also represents the kind of unbreakable bond that can be forged between a team and its fanbase.
The Golden Knights have had an exceptionally special bond with the city of Las Vegas from the beginning, particularly since the Oct. 1 tragedy that united the team and community ahead of the 2017-18 inaugural campaign.
The past six seasons have been an absolute whirlwind, and this franchise has accomplished more than anyone could have expected (except maybe Bill Foley, who predicted a Stanley Cup championship in Year 6).
Being on the brink of achieving the ultimate dream has been the result of a relentless effort by a team that has fought until the end 103 times this season. A team that won the Western Conference with a franchise-high 111 points and dispatched the Jets, Oilers and Stars in 17 games. A team that has won three of the first four Stanley Cup Final games against a competitive Florida Panthers club, including a 3-2 win in Game 4.
Jillian Wagner
Vegas has a chance to do something very special tonight.
A win tonight would set a new NHL record; Vegas would become the fastest non-Original Six expansion team to win a Stanley Cup (six seasons), besting those 1973-74 Flyers by a year.
The Stanley Cup is the most difficult trophy to win in all of sports, and it’s something every NHL player dreams of as a kid. It requires 16 grueling and hard-fought wins, and the opportunity does not present itself often.
Five years and six days ago, the Washington Capitals fulfilled that dream on this very sheet of ice, claiming the first Stanley Cup in franchise history and skating around T-Mobile Arena with their prize. Among them was Chandler Stephenson.
The Golden Knights find themselves back in the same building in a 3-1 series with the Stanley Cup in the house. Only this time, the Golden Knights hold the 3-1 series edge, and the Golden Knights have a chance to “do the thing,” as they say.
“It’s one win away from a lot of dreams for a lot of guys,” Stephenson said.
In order to get the job done, the Golden Knights must remain focused.
“We’re aware of what’s at stake and how big a game this is for guys as individuals, with the organization, the city, all those things,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “But it’s what we play for, so we’re ready for it. … We know what we’re up against and how we need to play to win.”
The Golden Knights have remained diligently focused throughout the course of this postseason run. They’ve been able to overcome adversity and show up in big moments. Their three elimination efforts have been particularly notable, including a 6-0 win against Dallas in Game 6, which was the team’s best performance of the year.
However, before delivering that effort, the Golden Knights lost two games as Dallas fought to recover from a 3-0 hole.
“The fourth one’s the hardest to get,” two-time Stanley Cup champion Alec Martinez said. “Clearly, Dallas showed that, but I think having gone through that, we know the game that we have to play in order to get it finished.”
With 15 wins under their belt, the Golden Knights still believe they have more to give.
“Our best game has yet to come,” Jonathan Marchessault said after Game 4.
He and the Golden Knights will go up against a Florida Panthers team that is 3-0 when facing elimination after overcoming a 3-1 deficit against Boston in the first round. This is not new territory for Florida, though only one team in Stanley Cup history – the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs – has fought back from a 3-1 deficit to win.
A key storyline headed into tonight’s game is the availability of Matthew Tkachuk, who is suffering from an undisclosed injury that kept him out of the game for most of the third period in Game 4.
No matter what, this is do-or-die territory for the Panthers, and they will do everything they can to force a Game 6 and bring this series back to Sunrise.
The amount of experience in the Golden Knights locker room helps in preparing to combat that desperation. Some have won, including Stephenson, Alex Pietrangelo, Martinez and Ivan Barbashev, among others.
Some have gotten there and fallen short, including all six original members of the Golden Knights – Marchessault, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, William Carrier, Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore – as well as Cassidy, who reached the Stanley Cup Final with Boston in 2019 but lost in seven games.
“I don’t get nervous a lot, it’s more anxious,” Cassidy said. “We want to get playing. We want to see where we’re at, what’s gonna happen. … Overall, our game’s in a good place, so I feel good about it. … The unexpected will always bother you, but I just feel like we’re gonna go out and play well [in Game 5].”
Of course, the Golden Knights can’t predict how the Panthers will play. But if Vegas sticks to its game plan, establishes its game early and executes the way it has all postseason, the Golden Knights will be in a favorable position.
“It’s only human nature for our mind to wander a bit, to know what’s at stake, but I think you gotta fight that,” Martinez said. “Just trying to maintain that balance of approaching it just like every other game and trying to get to your game as quickly as possible.”
The Golden Knights don’t need to make many changes. They’ve been successful in this series and throughout the playoffs, and they’re not taking anything for granted.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Smith said. “We’re not looking too far ahead. We’ve played a great playoff so far, and we just have to keep that mindset. We know the formula to win games, and we have to stick to that.”
Even though the Golden Knights are one win away, it’s the most difficult win of all.
“That’s the biggest thing, staying in the moment,” McNabb said. “The fourth one usually is the hardest to get. It’s gonna be pretty crazy [at T-Mobile Arena]. Just try and have fun with it. It’s a lot to think about, but trying to keep your mind in the right place is the biggest thing.”
The Golden Knights will look to get off to a strong start, much like they did in Game 4 of this series (as well as in Game 6 against the Stars).
The pressure will be different tonight, however.
I'll be in the building on Tuesday.
— The Stanley Cup (@StanleyCup) June 11, 2023
“It’s certainly a nerve-wracking feeling, but at the same time, once you get a few shifts underneath you, you kind of forget about [the Stanley Cup being there] and you go and play,” Pietrangelo said. “It doesn’t really creep into your mind until the end of the game.”
According to Stephenson, playing with the Cup in the building is “obviously a different feeling. A little more nerves, little more anxious. But at the same time, these guys have been here before too, so I think we got a veteran group and we know what to do.”
The crowd will be electric, which should help the Golden Knights maintain momentum throughout the game.
“That’s our fanbase; they’re unbelievable,” McNabb said. “We’re very lucky to be able to play in a city like this. … It’s a big game for us, big game for them, so they’re excited.”
Like most of the people cheering on the Golden Knights, McNabb has been here from the very start; he was one of four players on the stage at the Vegas Expansion Draft and has been a consistent contributor on the back end for the last six seasons.
“It means a lot being here since Day 1,” McNabb said. “Very proud to be an original guy, very proud to be a Vegas Golden Knight. So it means a lot, and it would be pretty special if we could get it done.”
The 1974 Philadelphia Flyers continue to walk together; the Broad Street Bullies are heroes in the city of Philadelphia to this day, and they are united in a bond that was forged in silver many moons ago.
The two franchises are completely different, and the teams are competing in different eras, but the goal is the same.
The dream is the same.
The thrill is the same.
If the Golden Knights win tonight, they will walk together forever.
Projected lineups
Golden Knights
Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Jonathan Marchessault
Reilly Smith – William Karlsson – Michael Amadio
Brett Howden – Chandler Stephenson – Mark Stone
William Carrier – Nicolas Roy – Keegan Kolesar
Alec Martinez – Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague – Zach Whitecloud
Adin Hill
Jonathan Quick
Panthers
Anthony Duclair – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Ryan Lomberg – Anton Lundell – Nick Cousins
Colin White – Eric Staal – Zac Dalpe
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Marc Staal – Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura – Radko Gudas
Sergei Bobrovsky
Alex Lyon
How to watch
Game 5: Golden Knights Panthers
When: 5 p.m. PT
Where: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV
TV: TNT, truTV
Radio: Fox Sports 98.9 FM