Knights remain focused: ‘The 4th one is the hardest to get’

The chants rang out one after another from fans packed shoulder to shoulder at City National Arena.

“We want the Cup.” “Go Knights go.” “One more win.”

There was even a standing ovation for goaltender Adin Hill. And all that took place before coach Bruce Cassidy even blew the whistle to get the Golden Knights’ Monday practice started.

The sense of anticipation seeped through the building as the Knights prepared for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday and their first chance in franchise history to clinch a championship.

The Stanley Cup will be in T-Mobile Arena. It’s up to the Knights, up 3-1 in the series, whether it will come out of its case.

The opportunity to make history and have their names recorded side by side on the NHL’s premier prize is not lost on the locker room. The Knights are just trying to concentrate on the task at hand: Finding a way to defeat a resilient opponent one more time.

“You can’t ignore that we’re one win away from the ultimate goal in hockey,” Hill said. “It’s exciting, but at the same time, it’s just keeping your composure and keeping an even keel. You can feel it. Everyone in here is excited. But just focused on what we need to do to get ready for tomorrow.”

The Knights are attempting to do what they’ve done well all postseason.

Stay in the moment. Not look too far ahead. They know how fast a series can change if they don’t. They led the Dallas Stars 3-0 in the Western Conference Final and didn’t close things out until Game 6.

The Knights also know the Panthers’ belief won’t be shaken. Florida was also down 3-1 to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins and rallied to win a Game 7 in overtime on the road. Even when the Panthers were down 2-0 against the Knights and trailed late in Game 3, they found a way to come back and win 3-2 in overtime.

The Knights are hoping to lean on that experience and become the 12th team in NHL history to clinch their first Stanley Cup in their first opportunity to do so.

“I’ve said it time and time again, the fourth one is the hardest to get,” said defenseman Alec Martinez, one of two players on the team with a Cup-clinching goal, along with defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. “Clearly Dallas showed that. But having gone through that, we know the game that we have to play in order to get it finished.”

With that in the back of their minds, the Knights are determined to be on their toes Tuesday.

They had a quick, light practice Monday after traveling back to Las Vegas on Sunday and getting the rest of the day off. It was a loose, excited group feeding off the energy of the crowd while also remaining aware of what’s at stake in Game 5.

The Knights know what it would mean to their fans, their city and their organization to take the traditional celebratory laps with the Cup on home ice. They’ve had a special relationship with their supporters since the beginning in the aftermath of the Route 91 Harvest festival shooting and their magical run to the 2018 final against the Washington Capitals.

That connection remains to this day. There’s a reason the Knights are an NHL-best 8-3 at home this postseason.

T-Mobile Arena could ratchet its atmosphere up another notch for Game 5 if Monday’s practice is any indication. The Knights are ready for that. They’re also resolved to play through it and attempt to not let their minds wander until their job is complete.

“I just feel like we’re going to go out and play well tomorrow,” Cassidy said. “Will it be good enough? I don’t know. We’ll find out tomorrow. I don’t know what Florida is going to bring. But I think we’ll be on our game.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.