On cusp of title, Golden Knights lean on players who've 'been here before' - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Although Tuesday will mark the first time the Vegas Golden Knights can clinch a Stanley Cup, they have a few players on their roster who've been in the position before.

The message from those players is simple: Stay focused on the end goal while enjoying the pressure that comes with it all.

Vegas has a chance to win the first Stanley Cup title in its six-year existence Tuesday when it hosts the Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Arena. Although this is the Golden Knights' second Cup Final, this is the first time they have been in position to win a championship; they lost in five games to the Washington Capitals in 2018.

«Having a few guys who have been here before, it certainly helps,» said Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez, who won two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings. «It's a focus mentality, somewhat of a calmness. Not trying to overreact or underreact, just trying to stay even-keel and focused on the end goal.… It's human nature to try to get a little too emotionally high or low throughout an emotional series or playoff run like this. Experience certainly helps.

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»But that said, the guys that haven't been in this position, I think they've done a really good job of handling it. The only way to learn is to go through it."

Martinez is one of several Golden Knights players who've won at least one Stanley Cup in their careers. Backup goaltender Jonathan Quick was teammates with Martinez when the Kings won the title in 2012 and 2014.