Bruce Cassidy's quote sums up March run for Golden Knights perfectly

Despite a 10-2-2 record in March, the Vegas Golden Knights have been on a roller coaster throughout the month. It started with winning the first three games and burying the homestand. Well, almost.

Then came the loss to the Los Angeles Kings, kickstarting a 1-2-2 run. That included disastrous games against the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings. It was as horrific as being a sports fan in Seattle, especially during the summer.

But things changed. Boy, did they ever change, too. After returning battered and bruised from Detroit, the Golden Knights suddenly... Became alive. That started with a sweep of a three-game homestand followed by a three-game road trip sweep. The goal totals in that span? Golden Knights, 28. Opponents, 11.

Mind you, Tomas Hertl was out for half of those games. Yet, he accounted for four goals in that stretch. He's not the only superstar on an absolute tear. Jack Eichel (six goals and six assists) has been on a tear in his last six games. Such play has been devilish for opponents figuring out how to stop him.

Still, it hasn't been easy during the six-game winning streak, either. The past two games are a testament to this, where Vegas had to pull out all the stops to win. It didn't matter if it was Adin Hill shutting things down in the third period or Victor Olofsson coming out of nowhere. It's something that Bruce Cassidy summed up perfectly after Saturday's game against the Nashville Predators.

Bruce Cassidy nails March for the Vegas Golden Knights

Sure, things looked rosy for the Golden Knights after March. They're a hair from clinching their seventh playoff appearance in their first eight seasons. That's not even mentioning the division being clinched. Imagine the stress lifted off the shoulders of Las Vegans everywhere. It's like learning that resort fees and parking tolls turned into a thing of the past.

However, that isn't realistic. That's also true for March as a whole. Not every victory was a gimme for Vegas, with Friday's game as a perfect example. The Chicago Blackhawks got odd-man rush after odd-man rush, sprinkling some breakaways into the chaos. They kept Adin Hill on his toes throughout the first two periods, carrying a 3-2 lead into the third period.

That didn't stop Bruce Cassidy's club from coming back, though. They ramped up the offensive pressure with Victor Olofsson scoring off a Reilly Smith feed in transition. That pressure persisted until a late power play, where Pavel Dorofeyev got Vegas the lead.

That goes back to Cassidy's theme. It's all about not giving up and pressing on. Otherwise, you're not winning the division and you're eliminated in the first round.

Perseverance is the key for the Golden Knights

Of course, that was a similar story on Saturday. The Golden Knights were trying to break through a Predators team making the game boring. All it took was a simple bounce for Reilly Smith to get his first goal in his return. After that, Hill had the floor to shut the door (Rhymes like Dimes!).

Even the last five minutes (and change) of Tuesday's victory over Minnesota had similar theatrics. Eichel scored two goals in under three minutes to turn that game into a blowout.

Sometimes, it takes digging deep to win hockey games. It's the difference between being the Florida Panthers and the Buffalo Sabres. One won the Stanley Cup last season while the other hasn't seen the playoffs since Osama Bin Laden was alive. Cassidy's squad has developed a reputation for being similar to the former.

Ironically, the 2023 squad had a similar feel. The first two games of the Western Conference Final were decided in overtime, both won by the Vegas Golden Knights. Without those two games, the series could've turned out differently.

No Stanley Cup.

No promises kept.

Hopefully, Cassidy's crew knows how to handle the next part of the roller coaster. It could include Hertl returning to the lineup soon. It could also turn into more Sin City magic come June.