Graney: Knights bought into Bruce Cassidy’s message

The rewarding part, Bruce Cassidy says, is seeing everything come together at the right time. That the Golden Knights built their game so that it was at its best when mattering most.

Every team talks about it in September.

Few see it come to fruition.

It has for the Knights, who are one victory from lifting the Stanley Cup. They can realize such a moment by beating the Florida Panthers on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.

The Knights lead this best-of-seven series 3-1. The first close-out opportunity has arrived.

Cassidy was hired a year ago this week, and with him came a new perspective on things. A new system. A new dynamic.

“A lot of preparation,” he said. “Every coach in this league works hard to prepare their team, puts in a lot of time and effort, sacrifice away from your family at times. So, that’s the rewarding part, and then to get your name on the Cup is the ultimate reward.”

Dallas series

He came close in 2019 as the coach of a Boston Bruins team that lost in seven games to the St. Louis Blues in the final. Interesting. Cassidy said this week he would take more lessons from the Knights’ series against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final than losing to the Blues.

That, when the Stars extended the series to six games after trailing 3-0, the entire process made the Knights a better team. That they can draw on such recent times Tuesday. To focus on the small details and the short term, which is how they might achieve their long-term goal of a 16th playoff win and being crowned Cup champions.

“(Cassidy) is a smart guy,” defenseman Shea Theodore said. “I don’t think we’ve ever been in a better spot. He has us playing the right way, using our best assets with our depth. There have been a couple times in the postseason where we’ve had to make adjustments. I don’t think in years past we have really done that.

“This year, we made those adjustments to get over the hump. He has been on top of a lot of guys — myself included — to get the best out of us. Sometimes it sucks, but at the end of the day that’s his job — make sure everyone is playing the right way.”

Cassidy said he didn’t know what to expect when taking the job. He knew the Knights had won consistently until missing the playoffs last season. Knew there was a room full of talented players.

That it was then on him to create the building blocks, to construct a specific style of play and culture and identity. Said the Knights had good habits from experiencing so much success, but that it was up to the players to buy into the message he was imparting. And they did.

His is a veteran group that has handled the distractions of a Cup final better than even Cassidy could have imagined. They’ve just continued to be laser focused.

Going for 16

“We’re not there yet, but before you can get to 16 wins, you’ve got to get to 15, and we did in (Game 4),” Cassidy said. “So we’re one away. We understand that. Now, if you’re able to do it, I think (Jonathan) Marchessault said it, you’re considered a winner forever. You’ve won.

“The unexpected will always bother you, but I just feel like we’re going to go out and play well. Will it be good enough? I don’t know. I don’t know what Florida is going to bring, but I think we’ll be on our game. The guys know what’s at stake.”

It came together at the right time, a major reason the Knights find themselves in this place.

The Stanley Cup will be in what promises to be an ear-splitting arena Tuesday.

Not sure if the Knights will close things out, but know this: It won’t be for a lack of preparation.

Ed Graney is a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing and can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.