Golden Knights to ‘lean on’ deep Stanley Cup Final experience

LAS VEGAS -- Nine years can happen in a flash, especially for the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights will play in their third Stanley Cup Final since entering the NHL in 2017-18 when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, CBC).

Only four players remain from that original team that shocked everyone with a run to the Cup Final in 2018: William Karlsson, Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore, and Reilly Smith.

“It feels like just yesterday was the first year we were doing this,” McNabb said on Saturday. “It's been an awesome ride. Very fortunate I've been here for this long and have another opportunity to try and win.”

Additionally, the four -- along with seven others from the 2023 Stanley Cup winning team -- are assisting their teammates with the nuances of being in the Final, including many extra responsibilities and distractions.

“There are lots of guys who've been here when we won and guys who have gone all the way prior,” McNabb said. “They probably just lean on the guys who've been through it. At the end of the day, it's a hockey game. It's just ramped up to level 10 when you see.”

While faces have come and gone, roles have certainly changed. Karlsson replaced Smith as the assistant captain in 2023, after Smith was traded in the 2023 offseason. McNabb hit a career-high in ice time this season in 63 games (20:31).

Theodore, however, has seen his impact grow the most.

When Alex Pietrangelo was ruled out for the season with a lower-body injury, Theodore stepped into the No. 1 defenseman role. He took on more responsibilities, such as spending more time on the penalty kill.

“He had some more responsibilities, and he's handled it awesome,” McNabb said. “He's been great. Even in the last minutes of games, penalty kill, he's done a lot more this year, and he's been really good at it. He's just such a good skater and a smart player that he's good in all sorts of situations.”

Theodore’s pairing with McNabb gave Golden Knights coach John Tortorella a reliable duo he could count on to lead.

“Steady, good positioning,” Tortorella said. “Can get us out of our end zone and play against top lines.”

Theodore said the reality of being in the Cup Final again won’t hit until Tuesday’s pregame.

“It'll definitely start when we get in there, probably on gameday,” Theodore said. “Being there before, there's a lot of media and a lot of buildup to it going into it.”

While the mental part of playing in the Stanley Cup Final is one thing to anticipate, Vegas took its time on the ice on Friday and Saturday to be ready physically after taking two days off following a sweep of the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final on May 26.

The Golden Knights ramped up over the last two days of practice, concluding their skate on Saturday in a simulated game environment.

“The second part of the practice was important just to get some bodies around them instead of running drills,” Tortorella said. “I just wanted to get some sort of game situation again. It's been a few days off here, so I thought it would be productive.”